Just One of the Guys
by remuslives
Summary: Hermione is tired of being just one of the guys but refuses let it change her. Fred takes notice of her and George helps. FredXHermione. Story takes place starting with OotP through the books and into post-Hogwarts era. Complete! R
1. Fireworks

**A/N: occurs during OOTP, somewhat AU for obvious reasons. Just testing the waters and playing with them a bit, nothing too serious.**

Fred sat between George and Lee Jordan in the Great Hall filling his plate. Dumbledore had recently left the school under the control of Umbridge. The twins saw it as their personal responsibility to give the woman as much hell as possible. At the same time, they realized their time at Hogwarts was limited. It didn't particularly bother them but Fred didn't fancy the idea of leaving certain people behind to fend for themselves, their best friend Lee for one.

The night before they had set off their box of fireworks. It had been especially entertaining to watch Umbridge run madly all over the school trying to destroy them all. But the best reward of all had been when Hermione had admired their work, his work. He would never admit it but he had fancied her since the beginning of the DA. Only one person knew of his affections for her and that was, of course, George. They had never spoken of it but Fred saw the looks his brother threw him in her presence. A sharp elbow dug into his ribs and he shot a glare at George who gestured towards the entrance.

Hermione went into the Great Hall led by Harry and Ron. They headed towards the empty seats across from the twins and Lee. She felt her stomach do a flip when the twins looked up at their approach and smiled. There was nothing special about it, of course. They smiled at everyone, particularly girls, all the time. But she could still enjoy it. She sat flanked by the boys and saw several jealous glances sent in her direction from a group of 6th year girls at their table. She rolled her eyes and started to fill her plate. The boys chatted mostly about Quidditch. It wasn't long before she had tuned them out and ate without noticing the frequent glances Fred was sending her.

"Hey guys." Seamus sat beside Ron but leaned forward so he could see her. "Hermione." They all mumbled their hello's through full mouths except Fred and George who offered slight nods before they shared a look. "Seen Dean?"

"Not since lunch." Harry offered with a shrug. It wasn't unheard of for Seamus to sit with them but it was rare. It was also very unusual for him to not be with his best friend, Dean.

"Last I saw him, he was leaving the common room with Parvati." Hermione didn't even look up when she spoke. The two had been all over each other and she didn't care to think about what she had heard Parvati whisper. She felt a blush tint her cheeks and hoped no one noticed. Once again the boys struck up conversation about Quidditch, occasionally they relived moments from the World Cup the year before. She glanced up from her potato to catch Fred looking at her, his ears turned a light pink but he offered her a small smile. _What was that about?_ After a few moments she noticed the talk was more subdued than before. Seamus had brought up their own team and that was enough to throw all the boys into a temper. The twins sent glares up to Umbridge where she sat at the High Table. Harry and Ron just became sullen. "So, those fireworks yesterday were really spectacular." She tried to pull the boys out of their funk. The twins turned to her beaming. The others all started nodding and discussing their favorite ones. "Did you see when those two collided last night?" The rest of dinner passed pleasantly.

When Ron had finally finished his second helping of dessert the group got up to head back to Gryffindor tower. Before Hermione had a chance to react, Fred had wrapped his arm around her waist while George had his wrapped around her shoulders. "Er…"

"So, Hermione, did you really think they were spectacular?" Fred pulled her close.

"Yes. It was some really good magic. How long did it take you to figure them out?" She tried to ignore the feel of Fred's side pressed against hers and the arm that held her snuggly. George's arm wasn't near as distracting since it was casually loose on her shoulders.

"It took us a while." George began.

"But not too long, mind you."

"Imagine what we could do-."

"If we borrowed that brain of yours sometime." Fred finished.

"I don't think so." Hermione shook her head. Her arms were self consciously crossed over her chest. "I can appreciate your Wheezes when put to such good use. But I wouldn't want to be responsible for creating them. You two have enough evil genius you certainly don't need my help."

"Did Hermione Granger just call us geniuses?" Fred questioned.

"I believe she did." George threw her a lopsided smile. "There may be hope for you yet, Granger."

"Lovely." She tried to make her voice as sarcastic as possible, but as she was still being distracted by Fred's closeness, it didn't quite have the conviction she had hoped. They refused to release her until they reached the portrait.

"Ladies first." Fred gestured grandly towards the open portrait. She cast them a suspicious look before climbing through. Fred ignored his brother's smile and enjoyed the view.


	2. Seamus

**A/N: Since I forgot in the first chapter. DISCLAIMER: I obviously don't own anything.**

Hermione settled herself on the couch beside Harry. She was extremely suspicious of Fred and George's new found kindness. They had never been mean or nasty, unless it involved a Slytherin, but still they had never been so nice to her. Typically they mostly ignored her. She was just their little brother's bookworm friend. And like most of the boys in her life, they seemed to see her as just one of the guys. That was what caused her to accept Victor Krum's offer last year, the fact that he saw her as a girl. It had been new for her, and it was very nice. She wasn't about to change though just to catch the eye of some guy that wouldn't notice her otherwise. Ginny had urged her to wear a bit of makeup. She had agreed to let her friend apply a small amount. But when she looked in the mirror, it was just too weird. She washed it off, and Ginny agreed that Hermione didn't need it.

Fred moved to sit next to Hermione but Seamus took the empty space before he had a chance. He exchanged another look with George. Seamus was trying to make a move on Hermione, and that was unacceptable. Without flinching Fred plopped down on the floor between Harry and Hermione's feet, while George took an identical seat between Seamus and Hermione's. "So boys and girls, what are we doing this weekend?" He was answered with mumbles and grumbles. "Oh, come on, someone has to have something planned."

"Or are you lot leaving it up to Fred and me to find something entertaining?" George grinned. Lee who was sitting in an armchair nearby shook his head.

"Not this time. Not for me. I finally got Angelina to agree to spend some time with me. Don't know what we're gonna do, but it doesn't involve you lot." Lee had a goofy grin on his face.

"Fine." George and Fred said, shrugging. They had known for a while now that Lee was after Angelina and that once she agreed to go out with him, he was going to be spending more time with her. He had fancied her for ages and wasn't about to mess it up.

They didn't sit long before Hermione announced she was heading to bed. "Night guys." She was half way to the girls' staircase when Seamus jumped up and made to follow her.

George leapt to his feet. "Hey Seamus!" The boy stopped in his tracks and turned to face George. Meanwhile, Hermione disappeared up the stairs. Fred breathed easier, thankful for George. "Where you going?" George sat back down.

Seamus turned back to see Hermione was gone and returned to the group on the couches. "Nowhere. I just-I thought I saw Dean." He lied, looking irritated.

George smiled at Fred who returned it. Fred however, caught a glimpse of Harry's curious face over his shoulder, and turned quickly away. They started a game of exploding snap before Seamus wandered off mumbling something about being tired. After George won three straight games, the boys called it a night and headed off to bed.

Once in their room, Fred rounded on George. "He's definitely after her."

"Yeah. We're going to have to do something about that."

"We also need something good for tomorrow."

"Yep. We'll think of something." Lee went to bed silently. He was used to hearing their conversations that made no sense unless you previously knew what they were talking about.

"She really liked them." Fred was reliving Hermione's compliments on their fireworks. "Apples." He smiled to himself, thinking of the way she smelled when he held her to his side. That line of thinking only led to remembering the feel of her against him as well, which led to other things coming up, so he abandoned that train of thought and tried to get some sleep.

The next day dawned early and the twins struggled to rise, neither had slept well. Lee on the other hand was positively glowing. "What's got you in such a good mood?" George asked the cheerful boy.

"Angelina." Lee sighed and headed down the stairs hoping to get an early start with her attention.

"He's got it bad." Fred chuckled.

"Yeah, almost as bad as you." George ignored the glare that reminded him of his mother. It was scary because he knew he must look the same when he adopted that attitude. "Quit it, Fred, you look like Mum."

"Shut it." He grumbled but knew it was true, as he had seen the same look on his twin's face before. They dressed and headed to breakfast. Sure enough, they found Lee seated beside Angelina encircled by her friends. The group of 6th and 7th year girls waved them over. George eagerly sat beside Katie Bell, he grinned at his brother, acknowledging his fancy for the girl. Fred sat beside George, relieved to not have to sit in the midst of the girls that had tendencies to break into giggles for no reason.

He liked Angelina; in fact he had taken her to the Yule Ball after she turned Lee down. Lee had begged him to take her to ensure that he didn't have to watch her snog some git all night. He also liked Alicia Spinnet and Katie, they were all great teammates. But when it came to time away from the Quidditch pitch, he'd rather not hang out with their group of friends. One girl in particular got on his nerves, Erin, she was really pretty but seemed to never have anything to say; instead she would giggle at the lamest of jokes the twins told. And like most people, she couldn't tell them apart, but it didn't seem to bother her. She treated them the exact same, as though they were the same person, it was seriously annoying. Luckily, he didn't see her. At least he had been spared that; he could concentrate on helping George with Katie.

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	3. Flirting

He listened as George flirted with Katie and she teased him back. _Well, it doesn't look like he's going to need my help._ He sighed quietly. He kept an eye out for Hermione and his brother and Harry to come down to breakfast. Maybe they would sit by him again. Unfortunately just as he looked towards the entrance, Erin chose that moment to enter. A huge smile plastered on her face she headed directly for him. Even worse, she was immediately followed by the three younger Gryffindors. They all four reached the table at about the same time.

Erin sat entirely too close to Fred, while the other three sat facing them. Ron seemed to enjoy sitting beside Leanne though; she was one of Katie's less annoying friends. Hermione as usual was in the middle and after only a few moments Seamus, Dean and Parvati joined them.

Hermione tried to avoid glaring at the pretty girl practically sitting in Fred's lap. "Hi guys. Hermione." Seamus grinned around Harry at her. She returned the smile. Two meals in a row Seamus had sat with them. It was highly unusual and Hermione started to wonder why. Once again everyone said hello except Fred and George who barely graced him with a nod.

George went back to flirting with Katie and Lee didn't even seem to have realized anyone else was at the table except Angelina. "So George, you look handsome today." Erin giggled and leaned against Fred's arm. "Of course, you look good every day." She batted her lashes at him.

"That's Fred, not George." Hermione sounded irritated. Fred didn't even bother fighting the smile that erupted onto his face. Hermione didn't notice though, as she was making it a point to study her toast.

"Oh." Erin shrugged her petite shoulders. "I don't know how you can tell the difference." She giggled again. "We have a couple horses at home that are almost identical. But they have different spots near their hooves." She moved extremely close to Fred's face and made as though to study it. "I don't see any distinguishing spots on these two."

"Did you just compare them to your horses?" Hermione looked up at that. She sounded disgusted and surprised all at once. Fred backed as far as he could from the girl until he was squishing George into Katie. Erin seemed completely oblivious though but sat back up straight at Hermione's comment, which made Fred even more grateful. "Because that's insulting, you realize."

Erin didn't seem to know what to say, big surprise there. She just stared bug eyed at Hermione. After several moments Hermione looked over at Fred and was surprised to see him smiling at her. She smiled back and felt a blush creep into her cheeks when he winked at her. She knew there was nothing special about Fred's flirting, he and George always flirted, with everyone. In fact, that was part of what made them so desired among the female students. Even the Slytherin girls wanted to date them. Despite it though, they for the most part stayed single. They would on occasion date a girl or two but never for very long. They were too concentrated on their pranks and joke shop. Besides which, the girls usually got jealous of all the time they spent in each others company. To distract herself, Hermione went back to studying her toast.

That seemed to release Erin from her wide eyed trance and she turned back to Fred. "She's a bit odd, that one." She whispered loudly and then giggled behind her hand. Hermione's head shot up. She opened her mouth to retort but Fred whipped around first.

"She actually had a very good point, like usual. And unlike you she knows the difference between us without having to check for spots. And don't get the idea that I prefer your company over hers. Because I don't." He stared at her stone faced so she could clearly see he had not been making a joke. He couldn't bring himself to look in Hermione's direction, though he did hear Harry whistle and a strange noise from Seasmus. Erin graced him with the same wide eyed open mouthed stare she had given Hermione only moments before. "George, I'm going upstairs."

"Want company?"

"No." Fred wiggled his eyebrows at Katie who giggled and slapped at him when he got up. He made it almost all the way to the Fat Lady's portrait before he heard his named being called behind him. He sighed and turned, expecting to find Erin had followed him; it wouldn't have been the first time. Instead, he saw Hermione jogging toward him. "Hermione?"

"Yeah. How'd you get so far ahead of me?" She caught up to him and bent over to catch her breath.

"Secret passageway, of course." He paused, wondering why she had chased him in the first place. Then he chuckled as she heaved a heavy breath and leaned against the wall. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. But I don't think I'll make a habit of chasing after you." She smiled as her breathing evened out.

"So, why did you?" Fred had waited for her to recover before he questioned her.

"Oh." Her cheeks turned red. "I just wanted to thank you. It was really nice of you to say that."

"Well, it's true." Fred was annoyed when he felt his ears start to burn. They stood in the corridor for several more minutes, not looking at each other before Fred broke the silence. "So, how do you tell us apart anyway? Not even Mum can, you know. Unless she takes a few minutes to stare us down."

"Oh. Well, it's a couple things really. The way you stand about, George is more of a leaner. And you have more freckles on your nose." She could feel her cheeks heat up again. She hadn't meant to admit to him that she studied him close enough to know who has more freckles.

"Really?" He rubbed his nose. He dropped his hand when she chuckled at him. "So, what are you doing now that breakfast is over?"

"I'm not sure. I thought the famous Weasley twins were going to find a way to occupy our time today." She smirked at him.

"Yes, well, that's not until later." He leaned against the wall next to her. "Let's see, we could go pull a prank on Ron." She scrunched her nose at him. "No? Okay. Then how about, we spy on Ginny? She's been hanging around too many boys lately."

"I will not." She hoped he was joking, though he didn't look it. She wouldn't dream of spying on Ginny. Besides being her only female friend, the girl excelled at hexes.

"Fine, fine. You think of something then."

"How about the library?"

"Uck. Boring." He turned to her and leaned so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. "Unless you want to get lost in the rows somewhere." She gasped and turned towards him. He snickered and put up a defensive hand. "I'm only kidding." She huffed at him. "Unless you want to of course, then I was completely serious."

"You're unbelievable." She tried to glare at him but settled for a disapproving shake of the head. "We could-" But he didn't get to hear what they could do because at that moment they were joined by the large party they had sat with at breakfast. Much to Fred's dismay that still included Seamus. He looked to George who rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. _So, Finnigan doesn't want to get lost, eh? We definitely need to do something about him._

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**A/N: Thanks to everybody for the reviews! I really love them! Also thanks for reading and the alerts and such that quite a few of you have added. And finally, thanks to my beta: pottergirl94.**

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	4. Bird or no?

Hermione fell in with the group as they headed into the common room. She noticed Fred and George hang back. The first of which didn't look pleased. She pursed her lips at them. They were probably planning another prank. She overlooked the majority of their pranks lately. As long as the twins didn't involve first or second years she tried to ignore the rule breaking. One reason was because of her extreme dislike of Professor Umbridge, the other was because she liked how happy it made Fred to pull an exceptional prank.

She was brought back to the present at the feel of someone's hand on her elbow. She looked sharply to her left to see Seamus smiling at her. He gestured to the side with his head and gave a small tug on her arm. Her brow wrinkled as she allowed him to lead her away from her friends. He didn't say anything until they were in the far corner well away from everyone except a few small second years. She watched him curiously; she had no idea what he wanted. Perhaps he needed her help with something and that was why he seemed to be around more than usual.

"Hermione." Seamus began, he glanced over his shoulder. He must not want to be overheard. "How are you?" Of all the things she had thought he might say that wasn't one of them.

"Er…I'm fine thanks." She paused. "And you?"

"I'm good." He fiddled with the edge of his robes. "I just-." He mumbled without finishing.

"Seamus, is everything alright?" She was slightly concerned. Though they had never been good friends, they had always got on quite well. "Did you need help with something?" His head popped up. He looked somewhat confused and then smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah, I was wondering if you could help me with Transfiguration." He looked anxious again.

"Sure. What are you having problems with?"

Fred climbed into the common room behind George who had stopped abruptly. Following his line of sight he saw Hermione and Seamus in a rather dark corner of the large room. Seamus had his back to them and was blocking Hermione's face from his view. "Come on." George shoved his twin towards the staircase to their dorm.

Fred let himself be led reluctantly up to their room. Once there, he opened his mouth to shout about the younger boy when his eyes widened and mouth dropped open. George surprised by his brother's reaction turned to find a large lump on Lee's bed. It moved around a bit with arms and legs sticking out. "Bloody hell." Fred whispered coming out of his trance. Lee and Angelina were so caught up in each other that they still didn't realize they had an audience. Fred backed up quietly to the door, opening it and tugging George out by the sleeve where he still stood paralyzed. He shut the door as soundlessly as possible. "They didn't waste any time, did they?" He still whispered for some unknown reason.

"Did you see what I saw?" George's eyes were huge as he stared at the door. Only after Fred's snort of laughter did he blink and look away from it. Both of them reentered the common room laughing so hard they held each other's shoulders for support. They plopped onto a couch near the fireplace. The entire House seemed on edge. It was rarely a good thing when the twins laughed that hard. Someone almost always got pranked. A weight settled beside Fred on the couch but he had yet to look up. His eyes were a bit blurry from unshed tears of laughter.

"Fred? George? What did you do?" Hermione sounded nervous. Fred looked up into her face. Her lips were slightly puckered, her brow furrowed. She looked into his eyes and waited.

"Hermione, honestly, we didn't do anything this time." Fred began; his eyes twinkled with merriment as they met hers. Her breath caught and she licked her suddenly dry lips. His eyes flicked down to watch then darted back up. Something new was in their depths that time. Hermione however couldn't place it.

Someone cleared his throat beside her which effectively broke the spell. They both looked away embarrassed. Hermione glanced to her other side to see Seamus had seated himself on the arm of the couch right beside her. He had been the one to break their connection.

"So how about tomorrow night, Hermione?" Seamus laid a hand on her shoulder. It made her uncomfortable so she stood quickly and moved to grab her bag. She rummaged through it not seeing the glares pass between the twins and Seamus. She pulled out her planner and double checked it.

"Sure, tomorrow should be alright." She sat beside Fred once again, though a bit closer. She felt a little light headed as her thigh grazed against his. "Um…how's 4 o'clock?" She looked up to Seamus. He quickly rearranged his features from jealousy to a smile.

"Yeah, great. I'll see you then." He patted her shoulder again before he joined Dean and Parvati a short ways away.

"Well, that was strange." Hermione mumbled.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked her with raised eyebrows. Unlike her, he had witnessed the entire exchange between the twins and Seamus. It was obvious one of them fancied her, the question was which one.

"Oh, nothing much. He just needs some help with Transfiguration. I told him I'd tutor him a bit until he caught up." Fred snorted along with George. "What?"

"Nothing, Hermione." George was quick to answer. Fred patted her knee which made her stomach do a little flip. "Really, you're just a really nice bird."

"I'm not a bird, George."

"Fooled me." He gave her a suggestive smile.

She huffed at him. "Really." She replied rolling her eyes. Though she wouldn't admit it she was actually pleased. If he referred to her as a bird than that meant he saw her as a girl which meant there was a chance that Fred did as well. It was a long shot but it made her feel good anyhow. She turned to Harry who was looking at the twins as though he'd never seen them before. He turned emerald eyes to her and gave her an equally bizarre look. "What, Harry?" She felt self conscious. Had one of the twins jinxed her without her noticing?

"Nothing really. I was just noticing that George was right." His cheeks colored a bit as he said it but he shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh." Now, Hermione was really uncomfortable. She bit her lip and willed herself not to look at Fred. She was half afraid that he would be giving her the same gaze as his twin and Harry. The other half that she was really scared of was that he would be looking at her not knowing what the other two were talking about. She settled for perusing her planner, making notes and adjustments to it.

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	5. Plans with the Twins

The group ate lunch together but no one seemed to notice that Lee and Angelina had been missing since breakfast with the exception of the twins. But then again, they knew exactly where the couple was and what they were doing. "So, who's up-." George began.

"For a little walk?" Fred finished. Katie and her friends, Leeanne and Bonnie, agreed immediately. The other three froze and looked at each other. It was obvious they weren't sure if they could trust the twins. "Come on."

"It's nothing bad."

"We wouldn't want to get our favorite prefect into any trouble." Fred grinned at Hermione. He was pleased to notice the light blush that tinted her cheeks.

"We swear." They said together and each held up a hand in testimony.

"Alright." Harry agreed with a nod from Ron and Hermione.

"Great! Let's go." George pulled Katie to her feet. Fred wanted to copy the action with Hermione but as she was across the long table from him there was no way he could. The group exited the Great Hall in a cluster and Fred maneuvered until he was beside Hermione. Leeanne was on his other side and smiled up at him. Bonnie also tailed along right behind him. He could hear Harry and Ron talk quietly behind her. George led the way out of the castle and down to the lake. "Here we are." He still held tight to Katie's hand.

"Right then. Accio butterbeer." Fred pointed his wand towards some nearby bushes causing a dozen butterbeers to fly to him. He caused them to hover in front of him until everyone had taken one. They had brought them down earlier before lunch. They had plenty left over since they had planned enough for Lee, Angelina, and her friends to come along. He directed the rest to set lightly in the sand of the beach. Meanwhile George brought out the hidden wireless. He tapped it with his wand, turning it on to a station that was playing the Weird Sisters. Fred watched as George and Katie walked a short ways off from the group and sat together. He turned his attention back to the group that was left. Ron looked longingly at Leeanne where she chatted away with Bonnie. Harry and Hermione sat sipping their drinks sharing an occasional word. Fred sat beside the trio and removed his shoes and socks. He shook his long hair back out of his face while he rolled up his pant legs a bit.

Hermione loved the way Fred could flick his hair like that. She watched as he dug his large feet into the sand and sighed. "What are you doing?" She pulled her foot away from him. He smirked at her and reached out for her foot again.

"I'm helping you relax. Now let me see that foot." He grabbed her ankle securely. She made a feeble attempt to pull it away but her heart really wasn't in it. She liked the feel of his fingers wrapped around her ankle too much. He plopped her foot in his lap and Harry chuckled as he removed her shoe and eyed her stockings. "Well that complicates things. Go behind the bushes and take them off."

"I will _not_!" She looked at him like he must have lost his mind.

"Oh come on Hermione. It's not a big deal. We'll just take it in turns and watch each other's backs." Bonnie declared and tugged Leeanne to her feet. Hermione was vaguely aware that Fred had pulled off her other shoe.

"Go on." He smiled charmingly at her. "No one's gonna think less of you. Are we boys?" Harry and Ron both shook their heads.

"Course not." Ron watched Leeanne closely. The boys both removed their shoes and socks while the girls headed towards the bushes. "Do you think she'll do it?" Ron whispered.

"I can still hear you, Ronald." Hermione chided from the bush. She turned her back on the girl that hid behind it, removing her stockings. She chose to watch George and Katie for a moment while she decided if she would take her own off or not. George had leaned in very close to Katie and she giggled before he kissed her. Feeling like an intruder, she turned her gaze back to Fred to see him also watching his twin. He looked a bit sad before he looked back out over the lake. She watched as Harry's gaze drifted over to where a few Ravenclaw girls sat beneath a large tree. She couldn't really tell from that distance but she thought one of them looked like Cho. Harry shook his head muttered something that made Fred chuckle and joined him watching the distant clouds over the lake. Ron however hadn't looked away from where the girls hid in the bushes.

"You're turn, Hermione." Leeanne stepped out, stuffing her stockings in the pocket of her robes. One last glance at Fred and she headed behind the bushes. She squirmed out of the black tights and stuffed them into her robe's pocket. She removed her hot robe and slung it over her arm and made her way back with the other two girls to where the boys sat on the shore. She saw them both watch Fred out of the corner of her eye. A twinge of jealousy in her stomach and she decided to pretend like she hadn't seen anything.

Fred watched her walk back towards them. However he felt a stone drop in his gut when Hermione veered off to sit between her best mates. Bonnie and Leeanne sat on either side of him, a bit too close to just be friendly. He looked over to see Hermione dig her little feet into the sand with a contented look on her pretty face. She rummaged through the pockets of her robe before discarding it and pulled her hair up into a sloppy ponytail.

"Oh, I love this song." Leeanne smiled widely. The wireless played a happy slow song. She looked at Fred expectantly. He stayed silent but Ron surprised everyone when he jumped to his feet and knelt beside her.

"Wanna dance?" Ron's voice was quiet but he held a hand out to her. Leeanne glanced once more at Fred and saw no interest so she grabbed Ron's hand, letting him lead her where they had room to move. Fred sighed relieved that she didn't hurt his little brother's feelings. Now, if he could just convince Harry to go dance with Bonnie, he'd have Hermione all to himself.

Harry on the other, showed no interest in moving from his spot. Bonnie scooted closer still to Fred and placed a hand on his forearm. He ground his teeth as he turned to her. He didn't want her to touch him but he also didn't want to be mean to her. The girl smiled at him and made to lay her head on his upper arm. "Hey, uh…Bonnie, right?" She nodded her head. "You know, Harry looks pretty lonely." Her smile dropped a bit and she looked a tad confused. "Maybe you could ask Harry to dance." He moved his arm away from her hold gently.

"Oh. Okay, sure." She frowned then shrugged her shoulders and leaned over him to ask the fifth year to dance. Harry nodded but shot him a look he couldn't quite place.

"So, Hermione." She looked up at him and noticed that they were the only two still sitting. "Do you want to dance with me?"

"Oh, that's alright Fred." Her smile was sad. "You don't have to dance with me just because everyone else is dancing."

"Of course I don't. But I would like to." He had been reluctant to let her know his feelings towards her until he saw Ron was thoroughly smitten by Leeanne. He had a suspicion that his little brother had had a crush on his best mate. It was a good thing he didn't too because Fred wasn't sure if he could keep quiet while Seamus hit on her. It would've irked him to watch her with Ron but they were brothers. Seamus was a whole other story.

"Alright then." Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper. She put her small hand into his offered one and he pulled her up to her feet. He didn't release her hand as he led her slightly away from the other dancing couples. His warm hand was softer than she would have imagined, though she could feel the calluses from his beater's bat. She let out a slight yelp when he twirled her around before he wrapped his arm around her. She reveled in the warmth of his hand soaking through her shirt. He held her loosely but close. Hermione placed a hesitant hand on his broad shoulder and allowed him to lead her.

The music changed again to a slightly softer beat and she without a thought laid her head on his chest. She could feel his sigh as he pulled her closer. He moved their clasped hands to his chest, over his heart.

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	6. A Dance

Fred held Hermione close to his body while he swayed them gently to the music. She followed his lead beautifully, never fighting for control the way Angelina had at the Yule Ball. Her small hand had slid from his shoulder around to the back of his neck. He tipped his face downward to brush his nose against her bound hair. _Mmmm…apples._ He rested his chin lightly atop her head. Her fingers played with his hair where it met his collar. He rubbed his hand up her back applying slight pressure. He ran his fingers back down her spine and rested his hand low enough on her waist he could feel the beginning swell of her bottom. He bit the inside of his lip to block any sounds that might come out. He didn't want to frighten her off, after all.

She was soft and pliable in his arms. He was surprised that she didn't stiffen up when his hand ended that low. He applied the smallest amount of pressure and heard her sigh. He continued to turn them in lazy circles throughout the next two songs. He had his eyes closed to savor every feeling of her. He was vaguely aware that the others had stopped dancing awhile ago. He cracked his eyes to see Ron had his arm draped casually over Leeanne's shoulder. Harry and Bonnie sat with a respectable distance between them and chatted quietly. The made an occasional gesture towards the three couples surrounding them. George and Katie were further down the shore still snogging. Fred glanced down to see Hermione's eyes were closed as well. She had a small smile on her lips as her cheek rested against his shirt. He longed for her to look up; it would be the perfect opportunity to kiss her. However, she kept her face where it was, fingers still played in his hair, and the other hand was slightly curved lying against his chest with his cupping it.

"Hermione?" Seamus walked towards the group. "Hey, Harry. Have you seen Hermione?" Harry gestured towards where she danced with Fred. Fred opened his eyes when he heard him call for her. He waited until he was sure Seamus saw them before he moved his hand from her back to graze her cheek.

"Hmm?" She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She was surprised to see him look down at her with a grin. He gave a small nod in the direction of Seamus. Reluctantly, she pulled away from him so she could turn and face her fellow fifth year. "Seamus? What time is it?" She nearly gasped when she felt Fred's arm slip around her waist, his other hand rested on her hip. He tugged her gently backwards, so that her back was pressed firmly against his chest. It wreaked hell on her concentration; she had to fight to pay attention to what Seamus said.

"It's three o'clock. I thought maybe you wanted to get an early start on our Transfiguration." He smiled widely at her. He flicked his eyes above her; she assumed he was looking at Fred.

"Oh. Well-." She was about to say 'I guess' when Fred whispered in her ear.

"Don't go yet." His hair tickled her neck and cheek. His breath was unbearably warm against her skin.

"I actually planned to spend the day with these guys before I agreed to tutor you, so…" She shrugged helplessly. "I'm sure you're welcome to stay here, if you want. There's plenty of butterbeer. Right guys?" She couldn't see Fred harden his jaw at her suggestion. Therefore, she couldn't explain the smug smile Seamus wore.

"Great." He helped himself to a drink. George and Katie made their way slowly back. Both of them wore goofy smiles. However, when George saw Seamus, his expression darkened slightly. Then he threw a very strange look to Fred. Hermione wasn't sure what was going on. She was, on the other hand wondering if maybe she shouldn't have invited Seamus to stay. There was obviously some sort of tension between him and the twins, though she couldn't imagine what it would be.

Fred instead of turning Hermione to face him spun them both to look out at the lake. He swayed them gently without spinning. She wasn't sure why he danced with her, but she'd be damned if she didn't take the opportunity to enjoy it. His hand spread out to lay flat on her stomach. She threw caution to the wind and placed her hands on his and leaned back into him. She rested her head once again against his chest. She would never have believed the simple comfort that that position provided. He bent his head down to nestle in the crook of her neck. His nose brushed lightly against the skin just underneath her ear. "Hermione?" He mumbled.

"Yeah?" She too spoke softly. She was afraid of bringing him back to the reality of who he was dancing with. She opened her eyes in an effort to focus on his words instead of his body. It was then however that she noticed the large audience of girls that they had attracted. They were spread out in small clumps, none too close but each and every eye was watching them. Some looked jealous, others envious, and others still disbelieving. They must think he was playing a joke. _Oh god, he's not, is he?_

He felt her pulse suddenly accelerate and her body stiffen. He looked up from her neck, and saw all the girls that watched. _No wonder she suddenly panicked._ "Don't mind them." His voice was rough and low. He nuzzled her neck again for good measure. That seemed to relax her a bit, though her pulse was still through the roof. "I was hoping-."

"Ouch!" Seamus yelled from where he lay on his stomach in the sand. Fred saw him throw a dirty look over his shoulder at George who attempted to look innocent. The others who had resumed dancing paused to watch the scene.

"Are you alright?" Hermione questioned. Her brow was wrinkled, she must suspect foul play.

"Yeah, thanks." Seamus got to his feet. "I was just on my way over to see if I could cut in." He smiled at her.

"Oh, um…I…uh…suppose." She looked up at him. He tried to keep the irritation off his face. She didn't make a move to leave his arms though. Fred sighed. He squeezed her lightly and let his arms drop to his sides. She frowned as she walked a couple steps to where Finnigan stood. Fred stayed where she left him. His arms folded across his chest, he watched them closely.

Seamus placed both of his hands on her waist. She place both of her delicate hands on his shoulders, but there was a good amount of space between them. Fred could see Seamus talking to her softly, smiling. When he spun her, in rather quick circles, she would look up at Fred every time she faced his direction. He was rather pleased to see she wore a polite smile and the distance between them never disintegrated. A couple girls from a nearby tree that had watched for a while took the opportunity to approach Fred. George danced near with Katie to warn him. "Silencing charm next time too, I think. Company."

"Huh?" Fred took his eyes from Hermione for a moment to notice the two sixth year Ravenclaws headed his way. "Great."

"Gonna make her jealous, Brother?" George questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Nope." Fred shook his head and returned his attention to the dancers. The girls reached him and smiled.

"Hi. I'm Melinda and this is Abby." The prettier of the two introduced them. She smiled brightly at Fred. "Are you having an exclusive party?" She flirted.

"Yes, actually. Gryffindor only, sorry." He didn't spare a glance for the girls. Hermione however did. Her smile faltered and she ceased to look up at him when they spun. The song ended and Hermione pulled back from Seamus. "Hey. Where are you going?" He called after her as she moved nearer where Harry danced again with Bonnie.

"Oh, I promised Seamus I would help him with Transfiguration. Didn't I already tell you that?" She shrugged, not looking at him.

"But it's not 4 o'clock yet."

"Close enough." She glanced over his shoulder. "Besides there are plenty of girls for you to dance with now."

"I don't want to dance with them. I want to dance with you." He grabbed her hand.

"Why? Is this some kind of joke?" He took it as a good sign that she didn't pull her hand away despite the line of questioning.

"Are you kidding me? Do you think I would dance like that as some sort of joke?" He tried to keep his voice from rising, but it was difficult.

"I don't know, Fred. I didn't think so. But-."

"You ready?" Seamus interrupted.

"No." Fred answered at the same time she said "Yes.". He held tight to her hand. "Please?"

"I promised, Fred."

"Fine." He dropped her hand. "It's just-. Hermione, it's not a joke. Okay? Remember that, please."

"Alright. I'll see you at dinner." She put on her discarded shoes and robe. "Seamus, I have to stop by my room before we begin." She shoved her stockings deeper into her robe pocket.

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**A/N: Hey guys thanks again! I really appreciate all the adds and reviews! You guys completely rock! Also, thanks to my beta: pottergirl94. Oh, and don't go getting all spoiled at how quick this update was. I do my best to be quick but this was unusually fast. Don't forget to leave me a bit of feedback. Just one itty bitty review. Go on, it won't hurt, it only takes a few seconds. **


	7. It begins

Hermione walked back to Gryffindor common room with Seamus close at her side. She was thoroughly confused by Fred's behavior. Honestly, she had never known his jokes to be nasty. And toying with her emotions would definitely qualify as that. The alternative to his pranking her though meant that he was serious. Guys like Fred however didn't go for girls like her. It just didn't make sense. She was still in deep thought when Seamus's hand grazed her lower back. She really wished he wouldn't. She sped up so his hand fell away from her. Inside the common room he occupied a table in the corner while she went upstairs to put on a pair of slacks.

She returned to the common room to see the crowd from the lake had also come in. She tried to control the blush that threatened to break loose when she saw Fred watching her. Unfortunately, Seamus had situated them so that their backs were to the rest of the room. She sighed as she turned away from her friends and plunked down beside him dumping her book onto the table.

Fred watched her skip down the stairs. He smirked at the pink that tinted her cheeks when she looked at him. _I think she's finally getting it, that I really do like her._ He didn't really doubt if she liked him anymore. He was plagued with doubts at first; afraid she wouldn't like him because of his pranks. Then she started letting their pranks slide. In fact just a couple weeks before, she had stumbled upon the twins in an abandoned corridor. They were hunched over a box of joke candies, George had groaned at the sight of her knowing they were busted. Hermione walked up to them looked into the box and asked what they were doing. When she heard they were for members of the Inquisitorial Squad she smiled, turned around and headed back the opposite direction. The twins had stood in shock until it was almost too late to get the treats in place. That was the first time she was obvious about overlooking a joke. And the twins were careful to never mention it since they knew she wouldn't want anyone to know she let them get away with it.

"Oy! Fred!" George elbowed him bringing him out of his memories. He turned to face his brother and surprisingly, Harry. "Harry wants a word." The twins looked expectantly at their younger brother's best mate.

"It's about Hermione." Harry voice was low and he had a strange look on his face. Fred would almost classify that look as threatening.

"What about her?" George crossed his arms over his chest, also noticing the boy's dark look.

"She's my best mate." He paused. "Do you really like her, Fred, or are you playing at something?"

"Why does everyone think I'm joking?" Fred found himself annoyed. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Harry didn't answer him just continued to try and intimidate him. "Harry, quit looking at me like that. Yes, I really like her. I told her so. Now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to glare a hole through the back of Finnigan's head." He turned away from the younger boy.

"Don't hurt her." Harry's voice was gruff and caused a moment of pause for Fred. He shook it off and nodded.

Seamus had scooted his chair closer to Hermione's until they almost touched. He felt his stomach twist into a tight knot. She didn't even appear to notice, either that or she didn't mind. He refused to acknowledge the second option. "Tonight, George." He felt his twin nod beside him.

"Ginny'll help." George looked at their little sister. She sat with a group of fourth years until she felt eyes on her. She glanced up and saw the twins looking at her. She hesitated only a moment then nodded. "Brilliant." They moved back into the corner to plot, Ginny made her way over to them.

Hermione slammed her book shut. "Alright, we're done." She announced. They had been at it for an hour and a half and she was tired. She didn't even that hard a time with Ron. Seamus either had very poor concentration or was really terrible at Transfiguration. She guessed the first because she didn't remember him ever having that hard a time in class with McGonagall. She froze as his hand lifted to her shoulder for probably the fifth time since they started. It really started to get on her nerves. She just wasn't a touchy feely kind of girl, especially with people she considered acquaintances.

"So, tomorrow, then?" He smiled at her. He was doing a lot of that, she noticed. She didn't think she had ever seen him smile so much in the five years that she had known him.

"Tomorrow?" She really didn't want to. He was harder to tutor than she had anticipated. And while she didn't mind helping him out, she didn't want to spend every day at it. She did have her own studies to keep up on and she hoped to spend some more time in Fred's company. "I think I had something to do with Harry and Ron. Let, let me go check." She hopped out of her chair, relieved to put a some space between them. He had acted strange, he kept touching her and leaning over her shoulder. He was practically sitting on her lap a few times. She didn't appreciate it. She flopped onto the couch between the boys. "Please tell me we have something to do tomorrow."

The boys laughed at her. "Not having fun with Seamus?" Harry asked her and patted her on the arm. She groaned and leaned against his shoulder. "Yeah, don't you remember, we promised to do that thing. With…er…the twins. Yeah, there you go. I think we'll be at it all day."

"Thank god." She whispered and left to inform Seamus. He was less then pleased. In fact, he almost looked angry. "Sorry. Maybe on Wednesday, I don't think I've got anything going then." At least that would give her a few days to recover.

"Great! It's a date!" He said it entirely too loud. Quite a few people around the room turned to look. Hermione could feel her face go scarlet; Seamus on the other hand looked fairly pleased. He grabbed his books and strutted across the room. Hermione watched as he walked purposefully past Fred and George, both giving him dirty looks. Then Fred turned his eyes back to her, they were wide and he wore a large frown. She hated seeing such a sad look on his handsome face. He wasn't meant to be so unhappy. She picked up her book and made her way over to where he was standing. Before she could reach him, he charged up the stairs.

"Hey George." She mumbled watching Fred disappear. "Is he okay?"

"Hi." He voice was cold. It was so out of place, she nearly dropped her book. "Of course, he's fine. Why wouldn't he be?" She shrugged. "So, you and Seamus, huh?" His voice was ever darker.

"What? No! I just said I would help him again on Wednesday. What's going on between you guys anyway? Every time he's around you guys are always staring him down. Did you try to prank him or something?" George just stared at her for a minute.

"Hey. Can you wait here for a minute? I'll be right back." He darted up the stairs before she could even agree. After only about thirty seconds she heard the thundering of footsteps run down the boys' staircase. She turned to see Fred and George. _How could only the two of them make that much noise? _"Hey we're back."

"Just had to grab a few things for dinner." Fred winked at her and slung an arm around her shoulders. "You're sitting with us, of course." He led her towards the portrait hole that most of the crowd was emptying through. George also laid an arm across her shoulders until he saw Katie and grabbed a hold of her instead. Hermione nibbled on her lip for a moment, not sure what to do with her hands after she set her book down. She saw Katie wrap her arm around George's waist. Hermione took a deep breath and silently slipped her arm behind him, resting her hand lightly on his hip. She risked a glance at his face, he looked surprised.

He was pleasantly surprised when Hermione put her arm around him. He looked down at her, she looked nervous and ready bolt. He smiled to reassure her and squeezed her closer to him. He was rewarded with a very large grin. Her little hand was warm against his hip. He thought he could definitely get used to that.

He told her a few jokes on the way down to the Great Hall and was happy when she laughed with him. She really was beautiful when she laughed. Her eyes lit up and she threw her head back with mirth. And best of all, she leaned into him to hold herself up. Fred sat beside George and was reminded of their plan when Ginny sat on Hermione's other side. The two girls chatted lightly while they ate. As the twins had predicted Seamus sat across from them beside Harry and Ron. He kept smiling at Hermione and shooting death glares at Fred when she wasn't looking. His eyes narrowed in suspicion when Fred grinned back at him. Hermione was completely oblivious as she continued to eat. Every so often she would join in someone's conversation or laugh at one of his jokes. Seamus was still watching him closely when Fred decided to distract him.

"Hermione?" He leaned close to her ear and spoke just above a whisper. He watched a shiver trace down her spine. He placed his hand on the small of her back. "Do you think we could go for a walk after dinner? Just the two of us."

"Alright." She barely whispered. He watched Seamus's face go red just seconds after hers.

"Seamus! Are you alright?" Ginny asked loudly, calling attention to him. "I think he's choking." The boy shook his head 'no' but his face just got redder with embarrassment. "Here, take a drink. Wash it down." Ginny thrust a glass in front of him with a look of motherly concern. She very much reminded him of their mum right then. She was a really was a great actress.

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**A/N: Well? Guess what's coming next chapter?** **Yup, Seamus gets what's coming to him. So did you like that Ginny got involved? Thanks for reading! Now go ahead and review. Go on, it won't hurt, I promise. Maybe I should start a chant or something. clears throat**

** review review review review review review**

**Did it work?**


	8. The Prank

Hermione watched as Seamus turned very red in the face. She thought Ginny must be right, he was choking. He snatched the glass from Ginny's hand and downed it in one. He shot a glare at Fred and jumped up from the table, leaving the Great Hall in a rush. "What on earth was that about?" Hermione questioned no one in particular.

"I'm not sure. I thought for sure he was choking. But-." Ginny shrugged her shoulders. She went back to her food. Fred and George also went back to their dinner without so much as a glance in the direction the boy fled. Hermione however, felt relieved when she saw Dean get up to chase down his friend.

She finished her food and sat for a moment, unsure what to do. A quick glance at Fred showed her he was still working on his dessert. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to wait for him or it she should return to the common room, or possibly the library to study for her OWL's. She was about to stand when Fred laid his fork down. "I'm stuffed. Think I'll head back to the Tower."

"I'll walk with you." She caught on that he didn't want the others to know what they were doing. She saw George's raised eyebrows before he tucked back into his plate, his hand resting on Katie's thigh.

"Great. Let's go." Fred practically leaped from his chair and tugged her from hers by her hand. He was really strong, but controlled. He didn't release her hand as he led her to the entrance. Hermione saw a lot of girls watching their progress. She chose to stare at the back of Fred's head as opposed to returning their stares. She had really loved his flowing locks of last year. When she had first seen him over the summer she was disappointed that he had cut it. Now that she was used to it though, he was as attractive as ever he even looked more mature with his shorter cut. Once outside the dining area he slowed and led her at a more relaxed pace up the stairs and vaguely in the direction of the Transfiguration Department. "Easier to talk without an audience." His voice was quiet.

"Yeah." She agreed. She was very aware he was still holding her hand. He swung it lightly and chuckled.

"So maybe it is actually easier to talk while surrounded by people." His grinned at her. They walked on for another minute in silence. "So are you coming to the Burrow this summer?" He sounded hopeful, but maybe she was just hearing what she wanted to hear.

"I'm not sure. I'm going on holiday with my parents. They were upset we didn't get to spend Christmas together this year. If we get back in time, I'm hoping to be able to spend at least the last few days of break with your family." She frowned remembering the tone of her mother's letter when she asked. "But I don't want to get my hopes up. My Mom wasn't very encouraging when I asked her about it."

"Oh." He was definitely frowning. "Me and George probably won't be living there anyway."

"Why not? I know you'll be graduated by then. But are you really moving out so soon?"

"Yeah. We've been looking for premises for our joke shop and I think we've found it. There's even a small flat above the store." He looked at her. "It's in Diagon Alley. It'll be perfect. We're in the final stages of the contract now." He looked at her closely as though judging whether or not to say something.

"What?"

"It's just-. Well, I'm not sure how much longer we'll last here." She started to interrupt him but he had stopped walking and turned to face her. "No, I'm serious. It's only a matter of time really. If I don't finish you have to promise to come see me at our shop." She looked doubtful. "Please, Hermione?"

"I promise." She watched as his hand rose as if in slow motion. His fingertips barely touched her as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He let his hand slide down her neck and arm until he was again holding her hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently. She just blinked at him, not sure how to react. She was breathing hard and barely registered that he was as well. After a long pause he started walking again, backwards that time. They walked on for a while without really talking about anything just random silly things that made them both laugh. They walked past a window and she glanced outside. She realized how late it was getting. "Fred, we'd better head back. It's bound to be curfew soon."

"Alright." The closer to Gryffindor Tower they got, the smellier the corridors became.

"What is that smell?" She coughed a bit. It smelled awful.

"Dunno." He rubbed the back of his neck. When the Fat Lady's portrait opened the smell broke over them in one terrible crashin wave. They both coughed a bit, Hermione waved her hand in front of her face. It seemed like all the boys were still in the common room, while the girls had retreated to the dorms, as far from the smell as possible. Several boys were coughing and a few first years gagged on the stench.

"What's going on?" Hermione inquired of Harry and Ron while Fred fought desperately to contain his smile.

"It's Seamus." Harry had his shirt held over his mouth and nose.

"Does that help?" Fred asked and copied the stance. He saw George also had his shirt covering his lower face. His eyes were squinted in concealed laughter though and once Fred could successfully hide his smile, his eyes matched George's.

"Yeah, a bit." He noticed Hermione too was covering her face. Her eyes were narrowed as well, but they were turned on George and himself. "We finally had to force Seamus to go to our room, shut the door and open the window. It took Dean gagging to make him go."

"Well, what's wrong with him? Why doesn't he go to Madam Pomphrey?" Her glare zoomed in on George as he let out a strangled sort of laugh.

"He did. She gave him a potion. It helped a little."

"Not enough." Ron mumbled from inside his sweater. "Every time he talks he burps these nasty little brown bubbles."

"And when they pop-." George was half strangled on his laughter.

"They smell like he's taken a shite." Fred now choked on his laugh as well. He tried to stop because Hermione's stare was terrible, but he couldn't. Only after he inhaled a large amount of the gas did he gag to a stop.

"Their called-." George started.

"I don't want to know what they're called." Hermione cut him off. "How do we stop it?"

"Can't." It was George.

"Just have to wait it out." Fred finished.

"It should be gone by morning." George held onto his brother's shoulder.

"Where are we supposed to sleep?" Ron asked and Harry nodded his head.

"Didn't think about that, Mate, sorry." Fred shrugged it off. There were couches. "I think we might have stay down here too, I bet it's invade our room as well."

"Probably. Lee's checking. Should've waited until tomorrow at breakfast." George finally had himself under control, though his shoulders still shook every so often.

"Well, goodnight then." Hermione laughed all the way to her room as the boys' protests followed her.

Fred heard her laugh as she sprinted up the stairs. Well at least she isn't mad. Or at least not mad enough to suffer the smell to lecture us. "Brilliant plan guys." Ron grumbled and headed for a couch. Lee came down the stairs with a smile.

"All the dorms are pretty clear except of course fifth year. Sorry boys." The rest of the Gryffindors ran for their rooms, eager to get away from the smell.

"I'm gonna kill 'em." Ron pressed a pillow over his face. Harry, Dean and Neville made their way over to the couches and pulled cushions off the chairs in order to make themselves comfortable for the night.

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**A/N: Hey guys. How was the prank? Was it alright? I hope it didn't disappoint to much. **

**So thank you for reading! And all the reviews! You guys really came through on that last chapter. I hope you do it again. So this time I'll give you a little dance with the chant. How's that?**

**Review review (shake my booty) review review (shake my groove thang) review review (flash a picture of Fred and George)**


	9. An Admission

Hermione came down the stairs to see the fifth year boys sprawled out around the common room, minus Seamus of course. "Come on guys, time to wake up." It took several minutes of groaning and complaining but the boys eventually headed up to their room. They were rather reluctant to open the door, she could hear them arguing about who should go first.

Fred heard voices from the hall outside the dorms. It sounded like Ron and Harry so he got up to see what had happened. He opened the door to see the younger boys shove Dean closer to their door. Fred laughed at how nervous they were to enter the room. "Don't worry boys, the smell should be gone by now." Dean grimaced and opened the door; they all held their breath just in case. When Neville could no longer hold out and had to take in fresh air, he declared it was safe and they all went to change. Fred went back to get himself ready. He recalled with perfect clarity the look in Hermione's eyes when she had promised to visit him in his shop. It had floored him and he was unbelievably thankful.

He waited a short while in the common room. He hoped Hermione would be down soon and he could walk with her to breakfast. When Ginny went to check for him though, she told him that the other girl was already gone. He was disappointed. Why hadn't she waited for him? He worried that she might be angry with him for the prank they pulled on Seamus. So he set off with his little sister and a couple of her friends. Ginny was obviously annoyed however when they continued to stare and flirt with him. She gave him a shove when they entered the Great Hall for breakfast and saw Hermione. Her friends groaned from behind her but he didn't pay them any attention. He only had eyes for Hermione. She was reading the Daily Prophet while eating toast. Several older girls sat near her and made comments and gestured to her every few seconds, but she appeared oblivious. Fred walked to her and plopped down beside her. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Morning Fred." She kept her nose buried in the paper. "How are you today?"

"Oh come on, Hermione. You're not mad at me are you?" She still refused to look at him. "I'm sorry alright. It won't happen again. Well, not to any of your friends anyway." She looked up at him with a glare. "Alright, fine." He tossed his hands in the air. "Not to any Gryffindors." She just continued to eye him. "Come on. I can't promise more than that. George would kill me."

"Fine. It'll have to do, I suppose. But I want to know why."

He sighed. He wasn't sure if he wanted to answer her. She didn't look away however, so he sighed and decided on the truth. "I don't like the attention Seamus gives you." He mumbled.

"What?!?" Her voice was much too loud.

"He was hitting on you. I didn't like it."

"He was not hitting on me, Fred. I told you, I was just tutoring him."

"Yes, he was. He was flirting with you. You may not have recognized it but I did. Ask George if you don't believe me." He gestured wildly down the table where his twin sat with Katie.

"Alright. So even if that were true. That doesn't explain why you pranked him."

"He was being so smug. And you weren't discouraging him. It was frustrating. You can't expect me to just sit and watch while some guy throws himself at the girl I fancy." Silence accompanied the end of that sentence, Hermione's and nearly all of Gryffindor table, not to mention half of Hufflepuff. "Look, come with me for a minute. I can't do this in front of all these nosy sods." She responded with a nod and grabbed her bag. Once away from the crowd of students, Fred took her behind a suit of armor and into a secret passageway.

"This is how you outran me the other day?" It took a moment for him to realize she was talking about when she chased him back to the tower from breakfast.

"Yeah." He held both her hands in his strong ones. Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her chest. "Hermione, I really like you. I have for a while now. And I couldn't just sit by and watch while Seamus tried to make his move." He touched her cheek softly. "It drove me mad to watch you dance with him. He doesn't deserve you. I know I probably don't either but I'll try very hard to make you happy. And I think I can."

"Fred, I don't even know what to say to that." She gazed into his eyes and he felt his heart give a lurch. He shook his head at her and moved his hand from her cheek into the hair at her temple. He leaned down slowly and touched his lips to her soft plump ones. She gave a surprised little sound that was muffled by his mouth on hers. He kissed her slow and deep, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her tightly to him.

Hermione was glad he wrapped his arm so snug around her because her knees had gone weak. Victor Krum's kiss had nothing on Fred's. Where Victor's kiss had been polite and more than a little wet, Fred's was passionate, moist and perfect. She felt him press her lightly against the wall and lean into her. She ran one hand through his hair while the other gripped the robe at his hip. His tongue glided warmly against hers, caressing it in a way she could never have imagined. She whimpered unconsciously and felt more than heard his answering moan. He pressed into her body even more and she could feel something hard poking her in the stomach. With a loud groan he pulled away from her. "We." He kissed her again. "Have got." Another kiss. "To stop." Barely more than a peck that time. She felt herself nodding in agreement while she stared longingly at his lips. She wanted nothing more than to feel them again. He gave her another small kiss. "So, does this mean you like me too?" She snorted at him.

"Obviously." She fought the urge to tug his lips back to hers. He laid his forehead against hers, both breathing heavily.

"So…are you gonna get mad if I tell people we're together?" He kissed her softly again. She shook her head no. "Good. Because George and Seamus are first on my list." He chuckled. "Mum's going to be insufferable." She smiled with him. She sighed when he pulled away from her.

Leaving the secret corridor hand in hand, the first person they saw was Seamus, much to Fred's delight. A quick look at Hermione showed she wasn't near as pleased, knowing the showman in him would require some sort of action. He almost pulled her into a kiss right there in the middle of the hallway but thought better of it. He wouldn't embarrass her like that; it would only make her angry. Instead, he settled for seeing that she looked thoroughly snogged. Her hair was mussed, her lips swollen and her face flushed. He knew his hair was likely to be messy too, as she had continually ran her fingers through it, not that he was complaining. He smirked at Seamus as they drew closer to him. The boy's face darkened and he opened his mouth to say something but snapped it closed when a small brownish bubble floated out. It hovered for a moment before it popped. The smell was nowhere near what it had been the night before but it was also far from pleasant. "Seamus." Fred winked at him and pulled his girlfriend closer to his side.

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**A/N: So how was their first kiss? Did you like Fred rubbing it in Seamus's face? Yeah, me too. Hey, don't forget to review! I saw you trying to leave without hitting the review button. What were you thinking? Shame on you, shame shame shame. I'm going to have to tell Mrs. Weasley if you keep that up. She will not be happy with you either. **

**By the way, if you're bored go to my profile and vote on my Hottest Weasley poll!**

**And, don't forget to review. Haha, that was sneaky, wasn't it.**

**re-view, cha cha cha, re-view, cha cha cha**


	10. A Date

The next few weeks passed quickly for Fred and Hermione. He frequently pulled her into secret passageways on her way to class. They would snog as long as possible before Hermione insisted she had to leave or be late. "Fred, I've really got to go. Professor McGonagall will give me detention." She said as she kissed his soft lips one more time. She spun to leave but was pulled to a quick stop by strong arms that encircled her waist.

"I'll get detention with her this afternoon then we can serve it together." He kissed her neck up to her ear which he nibbled softly. She smiled though she struggled for release. "I don't get to see you enough. You're all mine tonight after dinner." She opened her mouth not even sure if she wanted to object. "Yes, I know we have classes tomorrow. I just don't care. Come on, love. You know you want to." He was right, she did. She sighed and nodded. "That's my girl." He gave the shell of her ear a little flick of his tongue and then released her. She sucked in a deep ragged breath and made no move to leave. Fred chuckled; he knew exactly what he did to her. "Did you change your mind? You want to skive off Transfiguration?"

She groaned. "Of course not." She smirked as she moved close to him. Her shirt barely touched his but she could feel his breath quicken. He looked down at her, his mouth open, eyes dark. She lightly rubbed against him as she moved her lips to his neck. She kissed a small trail up to his ear and nibbled it as he had done hers. She could feel his desire to grab her when she mimicked the lick he had given her. She almost didn't pull away when she heard his moan. "See you at dinner." She skipped away from him smiling.

"That wasn't nice Granger." He called after her. His heart was racing. That was the first time her mouth had strayed from his lips. It wreaked havoc on him. He needed something good for tonight if he wanted to receive more kisses like that. He went to Charms late and smiled when Professor Flitwick shook his head at him. Flitwick had simply gotten used to the twins showing up late when he realized that giving them detentions wouldn't deter them in the slightest.

"Where've you been?" George asked giving a lazy flick of his wand. Lee sat beside Angelina like he had been since they started dating. He used the chaos of the surrounding room to playfully grab at her.

"With Hermione." Fred flicked his wand at George's frog. "I'm taking her to the Room of Requirement tonight after dinner. Should be a nice change from snogging in the corridors. What about you and Katie?"

"Going great, of course. I know what you mean though. I'm getting tired of hiding in secret passageways. She hasn't said anything but I think she is too." He caught their frog as it tried to escape. "I should have thought of taking her there before."

"Well as long as you don't go up there tonight. We'll have to take it in turns." The last of his afternoon classes past relatively fast. He was itching to get Hermione alone though. He could barely control himself when he entered the Great Hall and saw her sitting beside Seamus. Ron and Harry sat across from them looking uncomfortable.

"Seamus, I'm sorry." Hermione wanted him to leave. She didn't want Fred to see him sitting next to her. She still couldn't believe he was right. Seamus had sat with her and put a hand on her shoulder which she had immediately shrugged off. He at first asked her about the tutoring she was supposed to give him again the next evening. Then he asked her out. She was shocked; he knew she was with Fred. In fact, it seemed the whole of Hogwarts knew she was dating Fred Weasley. Although, it seemed a common opinion amongst the girls that it was some sort of prank.

"Come on Hermione. You two don't have anything in common. You don't even-." Seamus put his hand on hers where it rested on the table. She snatched it away.

"Look, Finnigan, I like Fred and he likes me. You're not going to change that. I'm sorry if I somehow led you to believe otherwise. That wasn't my intention. In fact, it was your motivations that were purposely misleading. I'll thank you to not bring this up again." The boy looked upset and a little angry. "And I think you also need to find a new tutor."

"Never needed a tutor in the first place." He mumbled before he moved up the table to where Dean, Parvati, and Lavender sat watching.

"Could've fooled me." She whispered to Harry and Ron after he was gone. They sniggered then stopped suddenly looking over her shoulder. _Tell me he's not back already._ Before she could look behind her, two hands settled on her shoulders and her temper broke. "Look!" She pulled roughly away from the hands. "I told you-!" She turned to see a surprised Fred. She yelped. "Oh, Fred, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was you."

"It's alright. I saw him sitting here." Fred sat on the bench, facing her. Harry and Ron cleared their throats and mumbled something about the common room. They got up and left.

"You were right." She sighed and reached out to hold his hand. She tried to ignore the pretty blonde girl where she sat behind him. The girl was watching with interest and actually grinning. "He asked me out."

"And you said?"

"Do you even have to ask?" She huffed at him. "I said no, of course. I don't like him, never have. I like you." A blush spread across her cheeks as she said the last. She was highly aware that many other girls were watching them.

"I know." He whispered and leaned closer. "I'm sorry. Just got a bit jealous there for a minute." He brushed his lips lightly against hers and felt her shiver. It was a quick kiss, there were way too many people observing them. "Let's eat." He turned on the bench so he was facing the table and started to load his plate. He saw that Angelina's friend Erin sat on his other side. Had he paid more attention he would have sat to Hermione's left.

"Hi Fred." She smiled at him and scooted a tad closer on the bench. He grunted at her, mouth full of potatoes and moved so close to Hermione that he could feel her stiffen at the girl's next words. "You know, you really don't have to lower your standards. I would be more than happy to keep you company. All night long." She winked at him.

Fred felt his blood boil. He swallowed, turned towards the girl and fought to keep his voice low. "Look, Girl, I didn't lower my standards. I raised them. And you couldn't possibly hope to meet them. Now, I suggest you find someone else to throw yourself at before Hermione decides to whip out that wand of hers. Even I don't like being on the other end of it." He glared at her until she bit her lip and left. He turned back to his food but before he could put another bite in his mouth, his lips were crushed under Hermione's. She only held him there for a moment before pulling away, face bright red. The table surrounding them erupted in applause which only served to make her redder. "Ready to go?" He ignored his stomach's complaint.

"Yes." She practically leapt to her feet. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, ignoring the catcalls that followed them. She hauled him up several flights of stairs before finally coming to a stop. "Sorry. Guess I was a bit jealous myself."

"No need for apologies, love. So, are you ready for our date?" She opened her mouth to answer but he spoke before she had a chance. "Course you are. Who wouldn't be ready for a date with me?" She rolled her eyes at him. He led the way to the seventh floor, to the Room of Requirement. He opened the door but let her go in first.

"Wow. Fred, this is…" Her voice trailed off. Curious, he urged her in all the way so he could follow and shut the door before someone spied them. What he saw surprised even him. They were in the Burrow's garden. The ceiling was a mock sky with the sun shining brightly.

"Yeah." He agreed already feeling more relaxed. "This is nice." He held her hand and walked leisurely through the lush garden. He heard her sigh and squeezed her hand. They wandered about the garden talking about everything from her OWL's to quidditch and his future joke shop. They stopped underneath the large old oak tree on the border of the beautiful flowers. She leaned her back against the tree.

She inhaled his scent when he leaned close putting a hand on either side of her, braced against the tree. He closed the distance between their lips. She enjoyed the feel of his hand where it had begun to caress her hip. She placed both of her hands on his chest then moved them to encircle his back when he leaned fully into her. She was lost in the sensations he was causing. "Hermione." His lips had moved to her throat. "Would you do something for me?" She could scarcely breathe so she merely nodded. "Earlier in the corridor when you kissed my neck and ear. Could you do that again?" She remembered his reaction from before. It thrilled her she could affect him like that. But, she was nervous that she wouldn't do it right. She licked her lips and placed them in the hollow at the base of his throat. He let out a quiet moan and tilted his head back to give her full access. "Merlin, that feels good." His voice was deeper than normal when she ran her tongue up to his Adam's apple. She smiled into his neck as she varied between kisses, licks and nips.

When she sucked gingerly at his neck his hold on her tightened and he lowered his head to capture her lips again. He kissed her hungrily, hands wondering over every bit of her they could reach. When his left hand lingered on the side of her breast she whimpered into his mouth. He caught her lower lip between his teeth and nibbled it gently. He kissed her again, slower but with no less passion. He moved his chest back away from her enough that he could slip his hand between them to caress her breast. She gasped and pulled back from him. "Too fast?" His voice was husky. She nodded almost imperceptibly. He moved his hand out of the way and pressed their bodies together tightly again. He loved the feel of her soft curves plastered to his hard plains.

He wasn't sure how long they had been there. It had been several hours, that much he was certain of. And he knew Hermione would kill him if she was caught out after curfew with him. At some point they had ended up lying in the grass. Though they were both fully dressed, Hermione had unbuttoned half of his shirt to slip her little hands inside. Her hands touching his bare chest had excited him like mad and he fought desperately against his desire to do the same to her. He already knew it wasn't going to happen, no need to torture himself. He was immensely surprised at the position in which they laid. He was half on top of her, legs intertwined. They hadn't separated since their first kiss against the tree. However, their kissing had lost its desperate edge and became more tender and satisfying. She even allowed him to run a hand over her chest as long as he didn't linger there.

Fred was tormenting himself, he knew. He was so hard it was painful, but he couldn't have stopped if he'd wanted to. He settled for pressing his hips into her leg every so often. If she noticed, she hadn't complained. After much longer than he had planned or ever expected he pulled away from her. He was delighted to hear her whimper and reach to pull him back onto her. "Love, we have to get back." She pouted. "I don't want to. Say the word and I'll stay here the whole night with you." She sighed and he knew it was over. Slowly he helped her to her feet. She straightened her clothes then looked at him and chuckled. He grinned back and allowed her to button his shirt up for him.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading again! Your reviews have been amazing. There's some seriously flattering stuff there. You guys really rock! Alright, so I'm not going to guilt you into reviewing this time. We'll see how you do on your own. Just keep in mind, nothing gets me writing faster than a bunch of wonderful reviews. Over 100 already! You're completely awesome!**

**Oh! By the way, I'm closing the poll on my profile on Sunday night or Monday morning. Right now, Fred is in the lead with George in second. There is only one vote apiece for Ron, Charlie, and Bill. I'll post the results with the next update following the closing. **


	11. Department of Mysteries

Fred had taken Hermione to the Room of Requirement every two to three days, alternating with George and Katie. They laid about the garden talking and snogging. Fred couldn't recall ever having such a good time with a girl. He had known from the start that she was different. He just hadn't realized what that meant. He was having the time of his life and he didn't want it to end. It however, wasn't meant to be.

Things changed, as they often must, following Harry's return from his last Occlumency lesson. He was distracted and eventually brought Fred and George into his troubles. Hermione couldn't believe what they had planned. She tried and tried to dissuade Harry from breaking into Professor Umbridge's office. He wouldn't listen to reason, however. So she attempted to persuade Fred to not do anything too outrageous. "Fred, please. Don't do anything to get into too much trouble. Please? I know I won't be able to talk you out of it, but please, please, don't get caught." She held his hand tightly.

"Hermione, I promise to try not to get caught." Fred smiled at her concern. He loved how she worried about him. "It'll be alright, one way or another. I've got to run, though. I can't be late to meet George. Get away from here and make sure at least one of the teachers can see you." He gave her a quick kiss and darted off down the hall.

"I've just got a terrible feeling about this." She whispered to herself. She took off to catch up with Ron where he also planned to stay highly visible. She waited and tried to appear as shocked as everyone else when the commotion began. Before she could even register what had happened. The twins were cornered by Umbridge. And to make matters worse, she ordered Filch to her office to find something. A glance at her watch relieved Hermione a bit; the twins had given Harry plenty of time, more than they had promised really.

Fred and George leaned against the wall, trying to appear nonchalant. Fred's gaze kept floating over to Hermione's worried face. She looked nervous and was biting a hole through her lower lip. Her eyes locked on his and he gave her a wink and a nod. This was it, they wouldn't be staying. He knew it was a long time coming, but he didn't look forward to leaving Hermione. He saw Seamus out of the corner of his eye, the boy was grinning. _Git. She doesn't even like him, nothing to worry about._ He tried to memorize every one of her features; it would be a while before he'd get the chance to see them again.

Hermione watched the whole display with a mix of pride and sadness. She couldn't believe he was gone. He had turned around once on his broom to give her another smile and a wink and then he was off. The rest of the term seemed to drag. She was bored and missed their little trips to the Room of Requirement. So, she buried herself in books to prepare for her OWL's. More often than not she would catch herself drifting off to relive those nights with Fred's arms around her. He had been a perfect gentleman, Mrs. Weasley would have been proud.

Then one terrifying night Hermione found herself in the Department of Mysteries with members of the DA. She wished desperately that Fred and George had been with them. That night was a fog of memories. The last thing she could recall was hiding under a desk. She awoke warm but aching back safe and sound in Hogwarts. She groaned as she tried to lift her head to look around. It must have been night time, because the room was so dark. Her curtains were drawn blocking out what little light would have come through the high windows of the Hospital Wing. There was something heavy lying on her right foot. She tried to ignore the pain enough to shove whatever it was off of her. She heard a soft grunt followed by 'Lumos'.

"Harry?" Hermione saw her disheveled looking friend.

"Hermione!" He launched himself at her. "She's awake!" He called loudly. He was still pinning her to the bed with a ferocious hug. "I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you. I'm so sorry." He continued to mumble into her shoulder, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. After a few moments more lights were lit. Madam Pomphrey peeked in at her.

"Mr. Potter, could you please release the young lady?" The Madam held his shoulder firmly and guided him to a chair. "Now, Miss Granger-."

"Hermione?!?" Ron's voice carried from behind the curtain somewhere. "Harry, open the bloody curtain!" Harry leapt to his feet to comply. Ron lay in the bed beside hers; he was wrapped in bandages but appeared alright otherwise. "Get Mum, Harry." He had calmed down once he saw that she was awake and smiled at him.

"Right." Harry left the room in a rush.

"Mrs. Weasley's here?" Hermione questioned weakly as Madam Pomphrey poked and prodded her.

"Of course, dear, as are your parents." Madam Pomphrey patted her hand and went to remove a bottle from her cabinet of potions. "Here, drink this, it should help. You'll have to stay here for a couple nights though." Hermione drank the potion and forced herself not to let it come back up, it was awful.

"Thank you." When the mediwitch left her side, she turned to Ron. "Is everyone else alright? I can't remember a thing after hiding with Harry and Neville."

"Yeah, the DA's okay. Neville's nose was broke, so was Ginny's ankle. Luna had a concussion and I've got welts everywhere from those brains."

"What? What happened with the brains?"

"Long story." He was quiet for a minute. She could feel the sadness radiate off of him.

"What happened Ron? You said everyone was okay." Her stomach was tight with fear.

"I said the DA was alright." He answered. But before he could go on, a whole mess of red heads bustled into the room along with her parents and Harry, who hung back looking uncertain.

"What's going on?" Her parents looked worried, but the Weasley's and especially Harry looked heart broken. Fred stepped forward; she could see the dried tear tracks on his cheeks. "Fred?" He sighed and opened his mouth just as Madam Pomphrey charged out of her office.

"Now, we can't have all these visitors in at once." Harry immediately left the room, head hanging. "Come on now, children. Only four visitors per patient please." Her normally stern demeanor stemmed by the obvious loss they had suffered.

"Right. Well, we're here to see Ron." George moved over to his little brother's bed, tugging Ginny gently by the arm. The others watched Fred; he just glared back at them.

"Yes, yes, me too." Mr. Weasley stood beside Ginny and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Well, that's settled. Thank you Poppy." She looked sternly at the trio and shook her head. She did however, leave them to it.

Hermione clung to Fred's hand while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley explained everything about the Order and Sirius. Her mother was holding her other hand and her father kept petting her hair back out of her face. She couldn't even speak afterwards. She simply stared at the ceiling above her bed in shock. She stumbled on her first words. "How's Professor Lupin?"

"Oh, Hermione dear, don't worry about that just now." Her mother squeezed her hand. She had never met Lupin.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione knew the woman would tell her.

"He's…well, he's…" Her eyes welled up with tears and Mr. Weasley moved to hold her.

"He's not doing so well." Arthur sighed sadly, wiping off a tear of his own. "To have been through all that he has…well, you might imagine. Tonks is with him though." He led the sobbing Molly Weasley to the far end of the quarters.

Mrs. Weasley's tears had finally brought about her own. Reality had set in, and so had the meaning on Harry's face…guilt. Through blurry vision she saw her mother start to bend over her but Fred beat her to it. He placed his cheek to hers and his large hand cupped her cheek while his other hand wrapped behind her shoulders, drawing her to him. She could feel the warmth of his tears mingle with hers as they slid down her cheek. She lifted a painful hand to the back of Fred's head.

Fred held her close sharing in the pain. He could hear George comforting Ginny as she began to cry again. His parents had relocated beside Ron whispering to him as he let out a muffled sob. A hand that could only be George's clutched his shirt over his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to burn away the memory of Lupin sobbing on the floor. An unfamiliar large hand patted his back and then he felt Mrs. Granger's lips touch near his temple.

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**A/N: Well? I know it was probably a bit rushed towards the middle there. But I didn't want to dwell too much on the transition or rewrite straight from the book. Ok, so the story's getting ready to move forward into Half Blood Prince territory. **

**Now don't go making Mrs. Weasley cry any more. Leave a review so she can have a little happiness in her day. ;)**


	12. HPB Begins

**A/N: Alright, kiddies, this is during HBP now. It's been a while since I've read it, but I do have a copy sitting here beside my computer. I'll try to keep my facts straight. For obvious reasons, some of this is still going to be AU. Oh! I don't want to do the whole Ron's a jealous prat thing, so we'll just pretend that didn't happen. And Hermione didn't sick the birds on him either. Deal? **

Hermione didn't stay at her parents' house for long that summer. For once though, they didn't give her a hard time about it. They had been extremely supportive since that scene in the Hospital Wing. Her mother had even asked her about Fred. "Who was that young man, honey?"

"Fred." She had been given to short answers lately, which had both of her parents worried. It was so unlike her.

"Wasn't he one of the twins you wrote about earlier in the year? The ones that were always giving you a hard time?"

"Yes."

"I see. You seem to have moved beyond that." Mrs. Granger tried to bring Hermione out of her daze. "Are you dating him?"

"Yes." Her mother sighed and Hermione closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Mum. Yes, we're dating. He's really quite wonderful once you stop to get to know him. George, too." Her mother smiled at her, it was the most she had said since her return home.

"He seems to care for you very much." Hermione sighed at the memory of his arms.

"I care for him too." She whispered. She looked up at her mother who was smiling very largely.

"I'm glad you have someone who will be there for you." Her mother gave her a kiss on the forehead and wiped her eyes as she exited the room.

Hermione sat in the backseat while her parents drove her to the Burrow. The drive to her friend's house always seemed to take ages, though it really wasn't all that far. Pulling to a stop out front, Ron and Ginny met her.

She spent a large part of the next week bored. Fleur Delacour was really getting on her nerves, treating her like a small child, almost as bad as she was doing to Ginny. The two younger girls would frequently hide in an effort to stay away from the French beauty. Mrs. Weasley dragged them along every chance she got, in her own attempt to not be alone with her future daughter-in-law. Ron, however, volunteered to do anything if he thought he might get to spend some time in her company.

One particularly boring day, Ginny had been caught by her mother and forced to help with supper. Hermione barely escaped before Mrs. Weasley could catch her too. Ron offered himself to set the table. So, Hermione found herself alone with nothing to do before supper. She had almost convinced herself to go help them as well when something heavy dived into her from the corner of Ginny's room. She let out a slight scream of surprise as the body pinned her to the bed. Soft red hair tickled her chin as the boy straightened up and scooted higher. She barely recognized it as Fred before his lips were massaging hers. Once she recovered from the shock of his sudden attack, she kissed him back fervently, tangling her fingers in his hair. Despite being on a bed, or maybe because of it, he kept his hand strictly on her cheek even as his body pressed her into the soft mattress. She ran her hand down his back and lightly over his bottom, curious if it was as in shape as the rest of him. He bucked his hips into her in response, shocking a gasp out of her.

Fred's hips reacted of their own accord when Hermione cupped his bottom. Instead of backing away as he had expected her to do, she lifted her hips to press against him. He wondered if she was even aware of it. He tried to resist his growing desire but her hand urged him to meet her hips. Not breaking their heated kiss, he tentatively rubbed against her once. She moaned into his mouth and writhed underneath him again. He kissed a trail down her neck grinding into her repeatedly. She made the sweetest little mewing sounds. "Fred!" She gasped for breath. "Fred, stop." She moaned softly as he sucked on her neck. He pulled away with a deep shuddering breath. "Oh god." She was flushed and put a hand to her forehead as if checking for a fever.

"Damn, Hermione, I'm sorry. You just, and then I, wow." He took another calming breath. "Lost control for a minute, sorry." He rolled off of her, lying beside her instead.

"Yeah, me too. Lost my head." She gave a shaky little laugh. "That sure was something."

"Yeah it was." He agreed. He picked up her hand and gave her palm a small kiss before laying it on his chest. "Where's everyone else at?"

"Helping your mom in the kitchen. Where's George?"

"Waiting outside!" Fred jumped to his feet. "I forgot. He's gonna kill me." He bent down and gave her a quick kiss. "Meet me downstairs." He was gone with a small pop.

Hermione sighed and rolled off the bed, straightening her clothes. She was still in a daze about what had happened when she descended the stairs and entered the kitchen. She couldn't even pass off blame really as she had not only initiated it but encouraged him. Her face got hot just thinking about it. It had felt so good but in a completely foreign way. She had never felt that pool of hot liquid in her lower belly before. It was amazing yet agonizing at the same time. She needed to be more careful in the future or they would end up in a situation she wasn't yet ready for. She absently wondered if Fred had ever had sex before and with whom. She felt the sting of jealousy hit her. Maybe she didn't want to know.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ginny asked from her position by the table at what appeared to be the vegetable cutting station.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just thinking." She moved to help her friend just as the twins barreled through the back door. "Hey!" She hollered as George grabbed her by the shoulders placing her between Fred and himself. He ducked as Fred reached over the top of her to punch his twin.

"That's enough! Not in my kitchen!" Mrs. Weasley voice carried over the commotion. "And for heaven's sakes, let go of her!" She advanced towards them. George laughed loudly and ran from the room, Fred hot on his trail. "Those boys!" She huffed and returned to the pot and pans in which she was fixing dinner.

"Zey act like zey are leettle children." Fleur declared flipping her hair over her shoulder. Hermione was annoyed to see Ron nod in agreement with her. "And zat joke shop zey own." She made a 'tsk tsk' sound.

"Aren't you done with that roast yet, Fleur?" Mrs. Weasley asked with a glare.

"The only time Mum approves of their joke shop is when Phlegm puts it down." Ginny whispered with a grin. Hermione returned the smile, she had noticed that too.

"Girls! Quit gossiping and finish up those vegetables." Mrs. Weasley growled.

The group finished preparing dinner and sat down to eat. Mr. Weasley had just gotten home and said they should be expecting Harry the next morning. Hermione sat between Ginny and Ron and directly across from her sat Fred. The large group began passing around the dishes and filling their plates.

"It was nice of you boys to drop in for dinner." Mr. Weasley said addressing the twins. "Again." He smirked as Fred glanced quickly at Hermione.

"Yes. We haven't seen near enough of you since you took up in that flat of yours." Mrs. Weasley patted George's hand. "Although you have been around a lot lately." Hermione saw her steal a glance in her direction, so she kept her head down focused on her food.

Her relationship with Fred was by no means a secret. She doubted however if anyone knew how serious they were. Ron and Harry both seemed to think it was just a little fling and wouldn't last. She wasn't sure what the rest of them thought. In fact, Mrs. Weasley, at times, questioned which of the twins she was actually dating. Since she had arrived at the Burrow, both boys had taken to flinging an arm around her and teasing her mercilessly. She guessed that was part of what caused a lot of their problems with girls. When you dated one twin you apparently semi-dated the other. George flirted with her almost as much as Fred. Of course, it was in their natures to be flirtatious and he never crossed the line. Hermione was glad though that Fred didn't really chat up Katie that much.

Dinner finished early and everyone went outside to enjoy the cool evening air. The boys and Ginny started a small game of quidditch. Hermione found herself sitting under a tree watching with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Fleur sat a short distance away cheering on Bill who teamed with Ron and Ginny against the twins. "Hermione, dear?"

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione dreaded the conversation. She had a feeling she about to find out what Mrs. Weasley thought about her dating Fred.

"Fred has been quite vague about what's going on between the two of you." She paused. "I don't want to pry, you understand." She let the sentence hang there, hoping that Hermione would volunteer information.

"Well." Hermione chewed her lip considering what to tell the woman that she considered like a second mother. "We've been dating for a few months." The woman nodded that she already knew this. "I'm not sure what else you want to know." She said honestly.

"Oh, anything you feel like sharing, dear. Say, how he's treating you, or how serious things are." She watched Hermione closely looking for any unspoken admissions.

"He's been very sweet, actually. You'd be proud what a gentleman he's been." She saw the woman breathe a sigh of relief and nearly chuckled. "Really, you did an excellent job there." A little flattery never hurt.

"Oh, well that's all Arthur. Wasn't it dear? He's the one that showed the boys how to treat a lady." She smiled at her husband who looked very proud at the moment, his gaze on Fred where he flew on his broomstick. "It's nice to know it stuck. I must admit, I was worried about that with those two."

Hermione didn't know what else to say so she settled for smiling and turned her attention back to the game.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading buck-ohs. Anything in particular you want to see happen? I don't imagine I'll be writing too terribly much during the HBP timeline since there wasn't much chance for interaction between the two. I'll take any suggestions into consideration, especially if they're repeated. Alright then, you read, now it's only fair that you review. Go on, best do it quick like a band-aid.**

**Oh! and Fred won the hottest Weasley! Followed by Charlie who barely beat out George. Then Bill and lastly Ron. Poor Arthur and Percy didn't get any votes. :( **


	13. Reuniting at the Burrow

Hermione sat on that couch in the sitting room thoroughly engrossed in her newest book. Fred was outside playing quidditch with the rest of the Weasley's and Harry, who had arrived several weeks ago. Things had been going smoothly, if you discount Fleur. She and Fred had purposely avoided the bedrooms unless in the company of others. Instead, they opted to snog in various places that didn't involve a bed. The most common place being the broom closet opposite Ginny's room.

"Hermione, dear, why aren't you outside with the others?" Mrs. Weasley stopped on her way to the kitchen.

"Just wanted a bit of quiet."

"Yes well, enjoy it. It's hard to come by in this house. And you might as well forget it once you have children of your own." She bustled around in the kitchen for several minutes before heading back out into the garden. "Not that you should be having children any time soon." Her voice carried as the door shut. Hermione shook her head and smiled. She had just started to lose herself when she heard the door open again. In charged Fred and George.

"Hey Hermione." They called as one and went straight for the kitchen. She heard them laughing and one said something about Ron causing even more laughter. She could still hear Fred clunking cabinet doors and such after George entered the sitting room with her. He sat very close to her on the couch.

"What do you want, George?" Her suspicions were roused by his smirk.

"Nothing, love." He gave her his biggest most charming smile. "I just thought I should declare my undying love for you." He threw an arm around her waist and swept her up and over so she lay with her head at the opposite end of where she had been seated. "You know, since Fred hasn't yet. Thought I'd motivate him." He leaned so that he was hovering over the top of her.

"George, don't. Whatever you're thinking, don't do it." She tried to use her warning voice but it was shaky with restrained laughter.

"Hermione, darling." George began loudly to be sure his twin could hear him. "I love you dearly. Would you do me the honor of a good shag?" Hermione screeched as George leaned down and gave a long slobbery kiss on her cheek.

"George! Stop! Ew, stop! FRED!" She laughed as she tried unsuccessfully to shove him off and break the wet kiss.

"FRED WEASLEY! YOU GET OFF OF HER THIS INSTANT! NEVER IN MY LIFE-!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed from her position by the door with her husband who looked shocked.

George flew off of her hands in front of him. "Mum, I'm George. It's not what it looks like." His ears were bright red, his hands still held defensively before him.

"You're not going to fool me with that nonsense, Fred. Sit down! Hermione, sit up." She heaved a large sigh and sat in the armchair across from them. They both tried to interrupt her but she would have none of it. "Alright, I'm not sure if your parents have had this discussion with you dear. But I think it's high time you've had it." Mr. Weasley sat on the arm of his wife's chair looking distinctly uncomfortable. Hermione was afraid she knew what the talk was going to entail.

"No, Mum, please." George pleaded weakly. "Honestly, I'm George."

"That's enough! I'm tired of that game; you two have been playing at it since you were five years old." She pinned him with a glare. "Now, Fred, I know you're an adult but this is my house. Hermione however is still underage and at school. I cannot permit ssssex in this house."

"Oh my god." Hermione squeaked putting her head in her hands. George looked mortified.

"When two consenting adults love each other-."

"What's going on?" Fred had finally emerged from the kitchen with a plate of sandwiches. He sat the platter on the coffee table and took a seat beside Hermione who still hadn't looked up.

"Mum's telling us about what happens when a witch and wizard love each other." George glared daggers at his twin.

"Oh, uh…alright. I'll leave you to it then." He started to stand. Hermione's hand shot out and caught him by the shirt.

"If I have to listen to this, so do you. Sit down, Fred." Her face was nearly as red as his hair. He obediently sat beside her again.

"Fred?" Mrs. Weasley squinted her eyes at him. "Oh, dear. I'm sorry, George." She patted his hand. "Wait, if you're not Fred then why on earth were you lying on top of Hermione?"

"You were what?!?" Fred jumped to his feet again.

"Fred, it wasn't like that, calm down. Didn't hear that load of rubbish I was spouting?"

"Yes."

"Well, I was attempting to provoke you. I flipped her over and slobbered all over her cheek." Hermione subconsciously wiped at her cheek and the twins grinned. "Mum beat you in to see it though."

"Brilliant. You'll have to try again some other time."

"No he won't!" Hermione elbowed George as he leaned closer to her. She was about to grab a sandwich when she caught sight of Mrs. Weasley who looked less than impressed.

"That's enough, boys." Mr. Weasley looked relieved. He started to rise but Molly put a hand on his leg. He sighed in defeat and resumed watching his shoes.

"While I feel better about what we witnessed, I still think we need to have this talk." Mrs. Weasley folded her hands on her lap. "Where are Ron and Harry? Maybe they should be here for this as well."

"Molly, dear, lets just take it a couple at a time." Arthur begged her.

"Very well. When two consenting adults love each other they can make the decision to spend their lives together. _After_ their marriage they spend their first night together. And it can be a wonderful thing." She smiled at her husband making the twins slightly ill but Hermione gave her a small smile. "That wonderful night could be ruined though, if the two decide to…gallivant around before marriage." Fred couldn't help but steal looks at Hermione as the lecture continued on. She seemed to agree with his mother and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. What would she think of him when she found out he had already slept with someone? It was only one witch and it had only happened three times. In fact, he had less experience than most of the guys he knew, George included. "Isn't that right, Arthur?" She seemed to have reached the end of her little sermon.

"Yes, Molly dear." His dad seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because he once again made to get up, but she stopped him.

"Do any of you have any questions?" The trio groaned softly and none would look at the others.

"No, Mum. We understand. Can we please go now?" George rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes, alright. But if you should think of something, you can always ask either of us later." She waited until she received a nod from each of the other four in the room before she stood and walked shakily out of the house.

"Let's be a little more careful in the future. To avoid yet another awkward conversation." Arthur still wouldn't look at any of the kids and retreated after his wife. His shoulders a bit slumped, the usual bounce in his step was temporarily gone.

"Well, that was uncomfortable." Fred grabbed his food back up and George copied him. Hermione looked at both of them and decided maybe it was best to just eat and not talk, so she did. When they were done George went back out to start a new game of quidditch. "Sorry about that." He picked up the empty tray and headed into the kitchen, Hermione followed behind him.

"No, it's alright." She helped him clean up.

"Well, we're heading back to the flat soon. You lot are coming to the shop tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah." She reclined against the counter and he moved in on her. "Fred, what about your mum? If she walks in on us, we may have to sit for an even longer more in depth lecture. I'm not sure if I could handle that so soon." He laughed at her.

"Well, we'll have to find somewhere more private then." He kissed her softly and pulled on her hand to lead her away.

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**A/N: Alright, then. I forgot to note last time: FRED WILL NOT DIE. So no more worries about that, ok? I'm still accepting suggestions of things you would like to see coming up. And I've got a new poll up if anyone's bored enough to check it out. Right now, Lupin's leading, followed by George and Fred (they're tied). And here's a shameless plug for a one-shot I wrote on Valentine's Day: Flirting with Books. It's a Lupin/Hermione story. **

**So be a dearie and review to let me know what you think.**


	14. WWW

The group arrived in Diagon Alley happy to have Hagrid along. Hermione was still somewhat irritated at Harry for his behavior in Madam Malkin's. She was beyond excited though to see Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Seeing the shop, she wasn't sure if she agreed with Harry and Ron that it was hilarious or with Mrs. Weasley that it would get them killed. It certainly caught everyone's attention. She made her way in behind the boys with Ginny. The entire store was bright and busy, very busy. _They must be doing extremely well._ A large display caught her attention and she squeezed her way up to it. She read off the box of Patented Daydream Charms to Harry who had ended up beside her. When she mentioned what extraordinary magic it took, Fred popped up behind her and offered her one for free.

"Take a couple." Fred leaned close so no one else could overhear them. "I know I'll be using them while you're in school. Are you sure you don't just want to drop out and come work for us?" She sent him a scathing look which only made him chuckle. "Alright, alright. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

"Fred!" He only laughed harder.

"I was only joking." He stuffed five boxes into her pockets. "Just make sure it's me you're dreaming of."

"Oh, really now," she said with a roll of her eyes, "as if there's anyone else I would think about."

"Finnigan." Fred mumbled.

"Fred," she tried to soften her voice as much as possible. She didn't want him to have any doubts. "I didn't like Seamus last year. And I'm not going to like him this year." He looked up her with a small grin. "Besides, how could I possibly daydream about anyone else when I know what it's really like to be kissing you?"

"You're absolutely perfect. Did you know that?" Fred's smile was large and goofy. He pulled her into a hug. "I would snog you right here, but my mum's watching us like a hawk. But I am getting you alone before you leave the shop today."

"Deal." She kissed his cheek. He released her to show Harry around their shop. She was still looking over the Daydream Charms when Ginny pushed her way up beside her.

"Oh, these sound excellent." Ginny gushed over them.

"Don't they."

"Mum'll never buy me one though."

"Here." Hermione slipped her friend a few coins. "Just don't tell your mum where you got it."

"No. Hermione, I can't take this." Ginny tried to give the coins back.

"Course you can. Consider it delayed payment for helping me with my hair at the Yule Ball." Her friend opened her mouth to object. "Also, for saving me from spending every waking moment in the company of those boys." She gestured towards Ron and Harry.

"Now that, I'll accept. Thank you." She smiled and headed towards George where her mother wouldn't be able to see what she was buying. She returned to her side after a few minutes. "He didn't even want to sell it to me, the git. I had to remind him of last week when he nicked Mum's whole apple pie." It was only a few moments before Fred came along and ushered them over to the Wonder Witch section.

Fred turned from the customer he was helping to see his parents scolding the three Gryffindors. He shook his head at the look on his girlfriend's face. She obviously wasn't used to being lectured. She listened with her head down; she might as well have admitted guilt. He'd have to help her work on that one of these days. He made his way over to her when his mother had at last finished. He grabbed her hand pulled lightly, she smiled at him. "Come on, we got a few minutes before they leave. George just showed Dad the muggle magic section; he'll be at least ten minutes before Mum manages to drag him away." He pulled her to a corner in a dark room. "Work room." He leaned her against the wall and kissed her like it had been weeks. "I'm gonna miss you." He whispered against her lips.

"Me too. But, I had better get back." She kissed him once more and moved away. "Don't need to go missing twice in one afternoon."

"Twice?"

"Yeah, that's what your mum was mad at us for. Harry told her we were all in the back room, but she obviously didn't believe him. Not that I can blame her since he was lying."

"Well, where were you then?"

"Oh, it was stupid really. Harry wanted to see where Malfoy was off to."

"I see." Fred looked upset but before Hermione could question him, Mrs. Weasley had appeared beside her.

"There you are. It's time to go. Goodbye Fred, see you at dinner." Mrs. Weasley grabbed hold of her arm and started off for the front of the store.

"Not tonight, actually. We're pretty busy here." Hermione's stomach dropped, Fred wasn't even looking at her. He stood with a frown, arms crossed in front of his chest. She wanted to go to him, find out what was wrong but Mrs. Weasley grip was firm as she was hauled out of the store back into Diagon Alley and to the waiting Ministry cars.

Hermione owled Fred that night to ask him if something was wrong. He wrote her back a curt 'no'. She sat on her bed in Ginny's room and wondered aloud. "How did I go from being perfect to receiving snippy replies?" She tried to think of anything she might have said to cause some sort of problem, but she couldn't remember anything out of the ordinary. She tried to not let Fred's foul mood sour the rest of her time at the Burrow. But between Harry's obsessive ramblings about Malfoy and Fred practically ignoring her, she was hardly having a good time. On rare occasions when she put them out of her mind, Fleur was there to drag her mood to new lows. If she only understood what was wrong with Fred, she felt she could remedy it quickly enough. That's when the obvious hit her. "George!" Ginny gave her a funny look when she yelled and ran to find Hedwig. She scribbled a quick note to George and sent Harry's owl off. She hoped that there would be time before she had to leave for Hogwarts to make up with Fred. Otherwise, they'd have to work on things through owl-post, and that would just grate on her nerves.

Fred sat on the couch in his flat moping. He felt bad about his short notes back to Hermione, but he was irritated with her. What made it worse was that he knew it was over something stupid. _Nothing is going on between them._ He sighed but couldn't stop thinking of the way they were always together. At school, she would spend almost all of her time with him and Fred wouldn't be there to remind her that it was him she was supposed to like. He knew it was ridiculous; they don't even fancy each other. _But then why are they always touching and hugging?_ It drove him crazy and he wanted to confront her about it so she could explain that there was nothing to worry about. But he felt foolish and didn't know what to say without making her think he was an idiot too.

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**A/N: Thanks again for the read. Be a pal and review. I'm closing my poll tomorrow on Wednesday and will be starting a new one. As of right now, Fred is in the lead with Sirius and Remus close behind, followed up by George. The others are a bit behind. I think Malfoy was creeping up there though. Bleh! Oh, I mean, to each his own. Or something like that. So, please review. cough review cough excuse me, I think I'm getting a cold. sneeze review. Yup.**

**Also before I forget, I would like to thank all of you that have this story on their alert list, there's 100 of you! How awesome is that? Just imagine if you all left a review. hint hint.**


	15. Groveling

Fred sat on his couch still moping when a piece of parchment was chucked at his head. "What was that for?" He asked his brother. George shrugged his shoulders and waited. Annoyed, Fred unwrinkled the ball of parchment and read it. He gave his twin a guilty look and set the letter from Hermione on the table in front of him.

"So, how am I supposed to answer?" George flopped down beside him, brushing his hair out of his face.

"I don't know, George. I feel like an arse."

"That'll happen when you've been acting like one."

"Thanks."

"Anytime." George elbowed him lightly. "Come on Fred. What's going on? One minute you're all lovey-dovey with the little bird and the next you're giving her the cold shoulder and we no longer have to constantly eat at the Burrow. What happened?"

"It's stupid."

"Good, it'll be easier to fix that way." They grinned at each other.

"Alright." He sighed, he knew his twin was about to laugh at him and wasn't looking forward to it. "Remember the other day when they came to the shop?" George nodded that he did. "Well, she mentioned that she snuck off with Harry and Ron for a bit. That's what Mum was reaming them about."

"So what's the big deal?"

"I'm getting there. This is the part where it gets stupid. I couldn't help but think of her all huddled together with them under that invisibility cloak." He could see the beginnings off George's smile. "I know, I know, she doesn't fancy him. But damnit, I got jealous anyway and acted like a prat."

"I know Ron was a bit obsessive about her a couple years ago, but mate, that's over. He doesn't like her anymore. He's totally into Katie's friend Leanne. He's even been owling her over the summer."

"It's not Ron that I'm worried about."

"Harry!?!" George laughed loudly. "You've got to be joking me. She doesn't like him! And as far as I can tell he doesn't like her either. In fact, I'm starting to think he's got a thing for our little sister."

"Ginny!?!"

"No, our other baby sister. Of course, Ginny. Watch him around her, it's pretty funny really. I don't think he even realizes it yet. For once I actually wish we were going back to school. It'd be great to see him fumble around like he did with Cho Chang."

"Yeah, and Ginny won't be near as patient about it." Fred smiled at the thought, not only for his sister who he knew still held that old crush. But also, because if Harry really was smitten with Ginny then maybe he wouldn't spend near as much time alone with Hermione. "Alright then, we need to make a trip to the Burrow tomorrow for dinner and we'll watch Harry."

"Good. In the meantime, you need to write to Hermione and tell her that I was extremely helpful in bringing back your sanity." Fred agreed with a nod and searched for a blank piece of parchment. "You really like her, huh?"

"Obviously. Have you ever seen me make such a wanker out of myself before?"

"No. And to be honest, it's a bit unnerving." Fred looked up at his twin's enormous goofy smile. "How long until we see bushy red haired children running around being too smart for their own good?"

"And mischievous too." Fred froze his eyes going wide, not really believing he had said that. "Don't repeat that." George's smile was almost too large for his face. "Oh, shut it will you."

Hermione sat in the twins' old room which was currently occupied by Harry. Her dark haired best mate was ranting about Malfoy again, with no end in sight. Ron packed a few supplies for school though he nodded occasionally to pacify Harry. Hermione however was daydreaming about Fred. She dreaded the thought of going back to school without getting to say goodbye. She even went as far as considering using the floo to go to his flat and hash it out with him. If she wasn't so afraid of Mrs. Weasley's reaction she would have done it already. The thought of being caught so blatantly out of bounds terrified her though. Plus, she didn't want her boyfriend's mom to think less of her. Luckily, a handsome tawny owl chose that moment to peck at the window. The boys were so thoroughly engrossed in their own activities that neither seemed to notice. Hermione rolled her eyes and accepted the letter from the bird, giving it one of Hedwig's treats before sending it on its way. She smiled as she read.

Dearest of the dear Hermione,

George and I are coming for dinner tomorrow evening. I hope

that you can find it in your heart to listen to me make a fool of

myself. I promise to be properly ashamed and explain to embarrassing

degrees the reason for my recent Ron-like actions. George says that he

was extremely helpful in regaining my sanity and that he deserves an

appreciation snog. I told him it would be over my dead body, so be doubly

sure that it's me before you start to snog anyone.

Groveling and yours,

(but still astonishingly handsome of course)

Fred

"What's that?" Ron tried to look over her shoulder.

"Just a letter from Fred. They're coming to dinner tomorrow." She struggled to maintain a neutral face, but lost.

"Is the trouble over then?" Harry asked.

"I hope so. I don't even know why it began."

"Sounds like he's going to tell you though, doesn't it?" Ron offered. She nodded hopefully. "You're going to tell us afterwards, right?"

"Um…maybe. It depends what it is." She answered them honestly.

It seemed to take forever for dinner time to roll around the next day. Hermione spent the whole afternoon in preparation of Fred's arrival. She was uncertain of how she should act, especially when she greeted him. She decided she'd wait and see how he acted before committing to her own action. They finally arrived just as everyone sat down to dinner. "It's about time." Ron grumbled to them. "Mum just agreed to let us eat instead of waiting on you prats."

"Language Ron." His mother chirped at him. She appeared to be in a rather chipper mood once the twins had announced their scheduled return to dinner. "Well, what are you waiting for? Tuck in."

The group as a whole filled plates and passed the dishes around the table. Hermione kept trying to catch Fred's eye, but he seemed determined to look the other way. In fact, he watched Harry throughout most of the dinner. The younger boy didn't notice though as he spent the majority of the meal talking to Ginny as if no one else was there. When Hermione took her last bite of pudding, she glanced at Fred to see that he was watching her. _Well, it's about time._ He offered her a tentative smile which she considered not returning. However, his grin started to droop and she found she couldn't resist giving him an encouraging smile. She saw him take in a large amount of air and nod to himself.

Fred thought for a minute that she wasn't going to give him a chance to explain. She hadn't returned his owl, not that he could blame her after the way he had acted. He had to swallow furiously when she finally smiled at him and chased it with a deep breath to calm himself. He stood and gestured towards the exit with his head, relieved when she nodded. He headed to the door and felt his mom's hand pat his arm on the out. He looked over and she was smiling at him and started to shoo him through the door after Hermione.

They walked silently out to the garden not touching but close enough that he would barely have to move to take her hand. He thought it better to hold off until after he explained though. They reached the large oak bordering the garden. Fred mustered his courage when she leaned against the tree and crossed her arms waiting for him to begin. "Hermione, I know I was a jerk. And I'm really sorry." He risked a glance at her face; she was watching him closely as if to detect the truth of his statement. He avoided the temptation to wrench his eyes from her gaze; instead he met them steadily, so she would know he was being honest with her.

"Why?" He flinched at the anger in her voice.

"I was jealous." He mumbled so quietly he was surprised that she heard him.

"That's ridiculous. I haven't so much as seen Seamus." Her hands flung through the air.

"I know. It wasn't Seamus." He paused, he hated to admit the next to her but knew he wouldn't be forgiven without it. "It was Harry."

"I'm sorry?"

"It was Harry." He spoke louder and dropped his gaze from her fiery eyes.

"Harry?" He nodded. "As in Harry Potter? My best mate?" He again nodded, keeping silent. "Are you mad? What on earth would you be jealous of Harry for?" She looked entirely bewildered.

"I-it's just…it was stupid. I know that, okay? But you said you snuck off on some whim of Harry's. And all I could think about was three of you squished together underneath that bloody cloak. And you two are always together. You hug him constantly. He-."

"That's enough, Fred." She cut across him. "Okay, first off, I want to make it perfectly clear that I in no way am attracted to Harry. He's like a brother to me, and he treats me like a sister. And I know that you've noticed that. I don't hug him constantly, but I do on occasion. And I'm sorry if it upsets you, but that's not going to change. He's one of my dearest friends and I can't cut myself off from him like that. He's the closest thing I've got to a George, and I would never ask you to act differently towards him." She paused to let it sink in.

"I hadn't thought of it like that."

"Well, now you can." She reached out and took his hand. "In no way, shape or form is that invisibility cloak comfortable. We are much too big to be sharing it, especially with Ron. Even I have to hunch over to cover my feet. It's terribly awkward and painful at times. There is nothing about it that would even begin to be romantic or attractive. And lastly, yes, I do follow Harry on all of his crazy whims. Sometimes, I think he's lost it completely. But, he's my friend. And he is going through some very complicated stuff and I won't abandon him to wander on his own. If something happened to him and I wasn't there to help, I don't know what I'd do." She paused and her cheeks started to tinge a bit pink. "Fred, I really like you. I don't want this to end over something absurd like me fancying Harry. Can you please just talk to me next time you go mental and think it's possible I could like someone other than you?"

Fred opened his mouth then closed it when he realized he didn't know what to say. He took a minute and looked at her hands where they held one of his. "I really like you too. And I'm very very sorry. I just…get a bit wild when I think of you at school without me. I worry that you'll forget about me and take up with some wanker like Seamus. And the whole Harry thing came out of left field. I mean honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. George laughed straight in my face when I told him."

"I'm just glad that I thought to write George. I do owe him an excellent Christmas present this year." She grinned mischievously at him. "Unless, I give him that 'appreciation snog'. Then I could compare just how identical you two really are."

"You will NOT!" Fred lunged for her as she sprinted away from him laughing.

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**A/N: Okay, and the winner of the best Hermione pairing is…da da da dah!…Fred! with 19 votes. I mean really, are we surprised?**

**Runners up: Draco (how did that happen?) with 10, Remus and Sirius tied with 9, George had 5, Ron 3, the others took 2.**

**All-time loser (even though we love him): Harry only got 1 wee little vote.**

**So thanks for reading guys! I started a new poll. Feel free to vote if you're like me and once again find yourself bored stiff. **

**OH! Over 200 reviews now, I mean seriously, you guys rock! **

**So you know that little purple box with the 'go' button beside it. Yeah, I was told that this whole story might spontaneously combust if you don't press it. Ok, so maybe not but you can press it anyways. Which is just another long winded way of requesting your review.**


	16. Sneaking Out

Fred rushed about his flat adding finishing touches here and there. He had kicked George out for the evening after enlisting his and Ginny's help. He had just sat down when George swirled out of the fireplace. "They're ready."

"Excellent." Fred hopped up and joined George at the floo. They arrived at the Burrow and dashed out of the fireplace as quickly as possible and into the next room. They could hear Ginny talking.

"Mum, Hermione's not feeling well. I told her I'd take a tray up to her." She really was a spectacular actress. If he hadn't known better, he would have believed her.

"Oh, alright dear. Go on up before we sit down to eat." Their mum's voice didn't hold a hint of suspicion. Really, that was partly the reason for Ginny's success. Molly was convinced of her innocence. They could hear the younger girl head up the staircase. They waited patiently for their mum to move into the kitchen and made a dash for the stairs. George shoved him up the stairs. He must have caught sight of one of the boys.

"Hurry up." Ginny held the door open to her bedroom for them. "Alright, make it quick." Hermione threw Harry's 'borrowed' invisibility cloak over her and Fred's heads while George made himself comfortable on her bed, digging in to the dinner tray. "Let's go." The two followed Ginny down. Fred ushered Hermione out from the cover of the cloak and into the fireplace first, where she quickly flooed to his flat. He was just about to remove the cloak when Ron wandered into the room.

"Where's Hermione?"

"She doesn't feel well. She's taking dinner in our room."

"Oh, well, I'll just go up and see her real quick."

"Leave her be, Ron. She was almost asleep when I left her."

"Alright." Ron shrugged and sat on the sofa.

Fred poked Ginny in the back discreetly. She casually sat in an armchair. "Mum made roast beef tonight. It smells so good. I hope it's almost done, I'm starving."

"Really?" Roast beef was Ron's favorite. Ginny had convinced her mum to make it for dinner in case she needed to get Ron out of her way. It worked, Ron jumped to his feet and speed-walked to the kitchen.

"Hurry." She whispered to him. He tossed her the cloak and darted into the fireplace.

Hermione waited impatiently at the twins' flat. She wondered what was taking Fred so long. She hoped he hadn't been caught. She wasn't sure what to do, if he didn't show up. A short wait later, the fireplace burned green and Fred tumbled out. "Oh good. I was worried you were caught."

"Nearly. Ron showed up but Ginny got rid of him."

"How?"

"His stomach, of course." She chuckled.

"I should've figured." She paused to look around his flat for the first time. "This is really nice. Do you mind if I nose around a bit before we eat?"

"Go ahead. Just don't go in George's room." He gestured to the closer of the two bedrooms.

"Sure." Then with a smile she added, "Why?"

"Because that's where we hid the mess." He smiled from the small kitchen area. "I think you're losing your touch. You should have known that."

"Maybe." She wandered around the little flat. It really wasn't all that small when you considered only the two boys shared it. There was a bedroom each, a shared bathroom, the little kitchen nook and dining area, and a decent sized lounge. It was brightly colored everywhere she looked; various shades of red, yellow, and blue mostly. With a glance back at Fred, who was bent over the oven, she ducked into his bedroom. It was the most vibrant shade of green she had ever seen. The medium sized bed with dark brown covers drew her eyes until she noticed the mirror over his dresser. She was surprised to see a picture of the DA tucked into the corner of it. She vaguely remembered the day Collin Creevey took that picture. She recalled it was just before Harry taught them the Patronus Charm. As she watched, everyone waved at the camera. She saw herself send a scolding look towards the twins who smiled broadly in return. When she turned back to wave, they continued whatever they had been doing. Then she noticed that Fred kept sneaking glances in her direction while George grinned and shook his head.

"Find anything interesting?" She gave a small yelp at Fred's voice directly behind her.

"Just this picture." She showed it to him. "I didn't know you had a copy of this. I wonder if it would be possible to get another one from Collin."

He looked fondly at it. "Probably, he had a few left when I got this one from him." He chuckled when he saw Hermione send him that look again in the picture. "Wish I could remember what we said. You look pretty irritated with us."

"Yeah, I do." She watched him put the photo back in its place. "This is a nice place, Fred."

"Thanks." His eyes flickered toward the bed then sped back to her face. "Dinner's ready." He led the way back to the dining room.

Hermione gasped in surprise at what she saw. There were a dozen candles floating around lighting the area while all the other lights had been extinguished. Their table was set magnificently, food enough for four people sat on a table hovering off to the side. "Wow, Fred. You've outdone yourself." She was rewarded with a proud grin. She sat when he held her chair out for her. And smiled as he fluffed a napkin out and placed it on her lap. "Thank you." He sat across from her at the small circular table and summoned the bobbing table nearer so they could fill their plates.

Fred cringed when he momentarily lost his concentration watching her tuck her hair behind her ears and accidentally caused the table to thunk into their own. "Sorry." She just smiled at him. They filled their plates. He took a bite while waiting for her to taste it.

"This is excellent! Did you make it yourself?"

"Course I did." He felt himself swell with pride. She was the only girl he had ever cooked for and it relieved him that she enjoyed it. He began to relax as they conversed about whatever popped into their heads. He loved talking to her, it was always so easy. She didn't judge him or pretend to listen like most of the girls he had dated. In point of fact, she really had very little in common with any of his past girlfriends. A fact he hadn't fully realized until she ignored that he nearly caught her hair on fire.

"Fred!" Hermione ducked when a candle sailed entirely too closely to her head. She adored the way his ears turned red with embarrassment. She just shook her head and grinned when he mumbled apologies. After both of them had their fill, him considerably more than her, they moved to the living room. The floating candles followed along behind them. She started to sit on the couch unsure of what to do when she heard music carrying from the wireless. Surprised she turned to see Fred had cleared a small space in which they could dance. He smiled at her and held out a hand. She nibbled on her lower lip as she moved over to him.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. She sighed leaning into him and rested her head on his chest. His hand ran up and down her back in slow strokes as he spun her in lazy circles. She heard him mumble something and it took her a moment after opening her eyes to realize what he had done. They danced in near darkness; he had put out all but two of the candles. She felt his hand skim up her back and tangle gently in her curls. She tipped her head back and looked into his eyes. She felt her heart skip when he licked his lips. She gave the barest of nods and he lowered his head down to hers. His lips lightly caressed hers before drawing out her tongue. Without much thought she let her hands wander over his back. He sucked tenderly on her bottom lip and she couldn't help but moan. Her hand dipped down to cup his bottom, she had been thinking about it since the last time her hand had made its way there. It was his turn to moan into the kiss and he started walking her backwards. Before she knew it her knees connected with the couch and he eased her down onto it, lying on top of her without breaking the kiss.

"Ouch! Fred, something's poking me." She wiggled underneath him.

He leaned up and grinned at her lasciviously. "Really? I hadn't noticed." He lowered back onto her.

"God, Fred! Not that!" She laughed and shoved lightly against his chest. She dug her hand into the cushions of the couch searching for the offending object.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! As of now, Oliver is winning the poll with James in second and Tom third. Though, I dread telling you this, because I'm really hoping Oliver can wait it out on top. He's always second to James, come on give him your votes people. And how on earth is David Thewlis towards the bottom of the list? You guys confuse me. lol. And poor Gary Oldman, he doesn't have one single vote. GO OLIVER!!!**

**err...sorry. So, should you find yourself all the way down to this line, what's a little further? Go ahead and submit a review. You might as well. Besides, did you notice how motivated it got me? **


	17. Hidden in the Couch

Hermione reached into the cushions and found something hard and familiar, a book. She gave Fred, who was smiling, an odd look as she pulled it out. His eyes widened and he snatched the book away and tucked underneath the couch, but not before she read the title: _Romancing the Intelligent Witch_. She pretended not to have noticed. Instead of moving to kiss her again, like she hoped he would, he stayed kneeling on the carpet beside her.

"Why don't you dig again? Mind you, find the right hidden treasure this time." He urged her with a grin.

"Alright then." She tried to hide her suspicion as she once again reached between the cushions underneath her. She tugged out a small controller of some sort with tons of colorful buttons and switches.

"Not that. Sorry, George was supposed to clean it out before he put it in." Fred took the strange controller and stuffed under the edge with the book. "Try again." She shook her head and reached deeper, coming in contact with a magazine. She barely saw the half naked witch primping on the cover before Fred ripped it away. "Damnit George." He shoved it violently in with the other mistaken finds. "I'm gonna get him for that one. Here I'll find it. Who knows what else that sod put in there." Fred plunged his hand in the cushions near her hip. She almost laughed at his bright red ears, but she couldn't since he looked so sincere. After several moments of digging he let out a triumphant holler. "Got it!" He produced a small cardboard box. He moved closer to where her head rested against the arm of the couch. He placed the box directly into her petite hand and sat back on his haunches to wait. "Go on, open it."

"What is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you. Open it and find out."

"I meant, what is it for?"

"Because I'm going to miss you while you're gone. And I want you to have something to remind you of me." He gave her a chaste kiss.

She sighed and took the lid off the box. Inside was a beautiful bronze oval locket with an oak tree carved into the front, just like the one found in the Burrow's garden. She grinned as she removed it from the box, the chain was unbelievably delicate.

"I got the chain charmed so it won't catch in your hair. Ginny said that's why you never wear necklaces." Fred watched her, feeling slightly apprehensive. "The locket has the strongest shield charm we could attach to it. To help keep you safe when Harry inevitably leads you into a dangerous situation." He paused again. "Open it." He was starting to feel nervous; she had yet to say anything. She just stared wide eyed, mouth slightly ajar.

Hermione ran a finger over the tree on the front and popped open the small clasp. Soft tinkling music much like a muggle jewelry box she had as a child emanated from it. Inside it was a tiny picture of the lake at Hogwarts. He waited and she still remained silent. "It's the Black Lake. You know, because that's where we danced." His stomach clinched when she merely nodded her head. "If you don't like it-."

"Fred, no! I love it. It's beautiful." She leaned up to kiss him. She pulled away a minute later, breathless. "Thank you. Will you put it on me?" She handed him the locket and pulled her hair up off of her neck.

He moved behind her and draped her around her slender neck. When he had the clasp hooked he lightly kissed the nape of her neck. He moved around the front so he could see it resting just below the hollow of her throat. "Perfect." He ran a finger over the tree that had taken him hours to perfect. He looked into her eyes and saw a return of the emotions he was full of but dared not to voice. "Shove over." He broke the tension when he squeezed himself between her and the back cushions. He squirmed until he was comfortable with her head on his bicep and his other arm wrapped securely around her. He pulled her back tightly to his chest and rested his face against her neck and breathed deeply. "Mmmm…you smell good."

Hermione chuckled lightly. "Thanks." She relaxed in his grip and closed her eyes. "The music tonight is really lovely."

"Mhm." He nuzzled her neck. The last thing she was aware of was Fred pulling an afghan over the top of them.

"Fred!" His name brought him back to consciousness. He moaned softly at the feel of the young witch in his arms. At some point during the night, she had managed to turn around in his grip. Her arms were around his neck, her legs entertwined with his, one thrown his over his hip. He couldn't resist his hand's impulse to run up that thigh. He moaned again, louder that time. "Fred." The voice was amused now. He opened his eyes; George was leaning against the back of the couch. "Comfy?"

"Yes." Fred whispered, not wanting to wake Hermione, who let out a little puff of air and snuggled deeper into his chest. Her leg tightened around his hip for a moment before it relaxed. He bit his lip to prevent the noise that threatened to break free of his mouth. "What are you doing here anyway? You're supposed to be at the Burrow."

"The sun's almost up, brother." George grinned at his twin's lack of reaction. "She'll be upset if Mum catches her." But he left them there and went to rummage in the kitchen.

"Fine." Fred knew he was right, though. Hermione would be beyond embarrassed, not to mention angry. "Hermione." He said it quietly in her ear. "It's time to wake up." He rubbed his hands up and down her back, leg, and arm. He was careful to avoid her little bum; he doubted she would appreciate waking up to him taking a cheap grope. "Come on, Hermione, you need to wake up."

"Donwanna." She mumbled into his chest and nuzzled her cheek against him. He fought against his body's reaction. But it was much too late for that, he was already in overdrive.

"You have to be back before Mum wakes up." He said the words he knew would convince her.

"Still don't want to." She responded groggily but definitely awake. She didn't however move from her position. "What time is it?"

"Not sure. George just woke me up. He said it was nearly sun up." He chuckled at her loud groan of protest. Several minutes past and she still hadn't made a move to get up. "I don't want to rush you, but since you are leaving for Hogwarts today, everyone is going to be up and moving about much earlier than usual."

"Oh! I forgot that was today." She pulled reluctantly away from him, but still not rising from the couch. "Where's George?" She whispered.

"Right here enjoying the show." George had been silently watching from the doorway.

"Turn around, brother." Fred fingered the locket. He waited a moment to be sure George really had turned away from them. Not that it bothered him but he knew Hermione wasn't fond of people seeing her share affections. He kissed her deeply, pulling her as close to him as possible. Her leg squeezed his hips. He grunted as he pulled away from the kiss, no need to get going with that. "You know you're mine, right?"

Hermione ignored the possessiveness of that statement and responded honestly. "Yes. And you're mine." She looked to his eyes to confirm it.

"All yours." He kissed her again. George cleared his throat from the kitchen. "Right then, you best get moving. Ginny'll be there to help cover your tracks." He helped her off the couch and over to the fireplace where he stuck his head through first. "All clear and Ginny's watching the doorways. I wish I could be there to send you off."

"It's alright. I know you're busy with your shop. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you. And your kisses. Which reminds me, don't forget the Patented Daydream Charms. I'll owl you and we can take one simultaneously." She smiled and gave him a quick peck and a wave to George who was again watching them before she flooed back to the Burrow.

"You've got it bad, Fred." George wore an enormous lopsided grin.

"I know." He flopped back on the couch which seemed cold without her presence. "Oi! What was with all that crap you stuffed in the sofa?" He leapt to his feet again, remembering his embarrassment. The book was his fault; he had been checking it at the last minute and forgot to put it away properly. But the rest was all George.

George laughed but tried to fake innocence. "I've no idea what you're talking about."

Fred whipped out the _Playwizard_ and chucked it at his brother's head. "That was NOT funny!" Though he belied that statement by laughing. "I know for a fact that issue was in my closet this morning."

"Did she see it?"

"Yes, but not too clearly. I stole it as fast I could." He laughed as he launched himself at his twin. George ducked but Fred caught him about the neck and pulled into a loose headlock. "We've got to come up with a plan to get me into Hogwarts. I can't wait for Christmas to see her again." He let loose of his brother's neck but grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "I've lost it completely, George. You realize she's got two years of school left? Two YEARS! What am I going to do?"

"Calm down Fred. You don't want to scare her away." George looped his arm around his twin's shoulders as he led him to the kitchen for breakfast. "We'll figure something out. Is she coming to the Burrow for Christmas?"

"She's not sure. She said she was still waiting for her Mum's answer." Fred helped himself to some of George's toast. "How's things with Katie?"

George shrugged, unconcerned. "Fine I suppose. I haven't seen too much of her this summer since I've been chasing you around." He held up a hand to stop Fred's apology. "You've done it for me before, and will again in the future, I'm sure. Besides, I'm just not that serious about Katie. I mean she's a great girl and we have a good time. But, she's no Hermione."

Fred looked at his brother. "I know you don't fancy Hermione."

"No. I just want what you've got. And it's not going to be with Katie."

"Yeah, well, I've got to manage to hold on to mine while we're apart. It's not exactly going to be easy."

"Wouldn't be much fun if it was too easy though, would it?" George elbowed him. "You're seeing her off today. Verity and I can handle the shop for an hour or so."

"Thanks, George." He shot him a glance. "You know, Verity is actually pretty when she's not knocking over all our products."

"Yes, Fred, I know."

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**A/N: Yes? No? Maybe so? Let me know what you think. Thanks for all the reviews and adds guys! You rock!**


	18. Secrets

Hermione pushed her trolley through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three-quarters. She joined Harry and Ron chatting with Neville and Luna. Ginny had moved over to a small group of girls from her year. "Hey Hermione." Neville greeted her.

"Hi Neville. Good summer?" She listened to Neville talk about his break for several minutes and exchanged pleasantries with Luna. Giggling from behind her though, kept interrupting her concentration. She tuned more into the conversation of three seventh year Hufflepuff girls when she heard her name.

"No, no, it was just a prank, of course. As if Fred Weasley would honestly date Hermione Granger. I saw him at their shop in Diagon Alley this summer. They're both looking more gorgeous than ever. Growing their hair back out." The girl's voice was high pitched and Hermione longed to turn so she could identify the girl. She however did not want to embarrass herself by admitting to eavesdropping.

"I told you that last year. There's no way a Weasley twin would date that little no-it-all. Maybe he pretended to date her as some sort of payment for help with his homework." A different voice wondered aloud.

"Since when do either of the twins care about homework?" A third voice scoffed.

"I saw him with Katie Bell a couple weeks ago. They were snogging behind the Leaky Cauldron."

"That was George."

"How do you know?"

"Because George is dating Katie Bell."

"Well, Christy said that when she dated George, Fred used to chat her up. I think they like to share girls."

"That's ridiculous! They-."

"No, I think she's right. Remember Alicia Spinnet? When she dated Fred, George was the same way."

The girls continued to argue but Hermione no longer paid attention because a familiar louder voice hollered her name. Hermione looked towards the barrier to King Cross Station and saw Fred with his neck craned searching the crowds for her. Her heart fluttered and she ran over to him. He caught sight of her and started pushing through the crowd to get to her. She launched herself into his arms. "What are you doing here?" She held tightly to him.

"George let me skive off work for an hour so I could see you off." He held her in a near crushing grip. "Not that I don't appreciate the hello, mind you. But is there any particular reason for the enthusiasm?"

"Just some stupid girls. But mostly I'm just happy you came to say goodbye." She loosened her hold on his neck. "Is your mum watching?"

"Nope. She's shoving Ron and Harry towards the train." To Fred's great surprise, Hermione reached up and kissed him deeply. Fred worked his fingers into her mass of curls and kissed her back. They were both too involved to notice the large amount of people that gawped at them including Mrs. Weasley. The train's whistle blew and Hermione pulled back. "I'm going to miss you. Now you had better run, or you're never going to make it." She smiled up at him, then spun and sprinted to the train, hopping on just before it started moving. She still hadn't noticed all the faces watching out the windows, but Fred did. _Well she's going to have an interesting few days._ She waved out the window until it pulled away from sight. Fred dropped his hand just as he received a smack to the back of his head.

"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley glared at him, but when she spoke her voice had softened. "You had better not screw this one up." She gave him a tight hug before heading back home.

Hermione made her way to the prefect's carriage with difficulty. People were staring at her and she had a feeling it wasn't only because of the incident at the Department of Mysteries at the end of last year. Normally, it embarrassed her if someone saw her kissing Fred. But back at the station she had been so overcome with relief and happiness to see him that the only person she considered was Mrs. Weasley. Still, she hadn't meant for it to be such a long passionate kiss; but once Fred's lips caressed hers, she lost her senses a bit.

The prefect's meeting was long and somewhat boring. Hermione was relieved when she could leave in search of Harry. "Hermione! Hey, wait, Hermione!" She stopped behind Ron to see who was calling to her. It was a very pretty Ravenclaw sixth year.

"Go on, Ron. I'll catch up." She waited for the girl to begin after her mate walked away.

"Hi, I'm Christy. I heard you were dating one of the Weasley twins." She waited for the girl to continue. "I just wanted to warn you about them. They're kind of funny when it comes to girls. I don't know if you know or not, but I dated George for a couple months last year." She smiled broadly. Undoubtedly that statement usually got more of a reaction so she seemed a bit disappointed when Hermione simply shrugged. "So, I was basically forced to be around Fred as well as George since they insist on being together constantly. And Fred was always very flirtatious with me and it didn't bother George at all. Really he seemed to expect it. Well, I didn't have sex with George but I heard that Alicia Spinnet slept with Fred." She lowered her voice not noticing the stone that dropped in Hermione's stomach at those words. "Well, I was told that after she slept with him they expected her to do it with George as well. And that's why they broke up. So, have you slept with your twin yet?" The girl's eyes searched Hermione's face but all they encountered were disgust and annoyance.

"Look, Christy. I'm actually quite busy and don't have time for this ridiculous conversation. If you want gossip find it somewhere else." She turned her back on the girl and went to search for her friends. _This is going to be a long year._

Over the next few days Hermione focused on her school work as much as possible. However, she couldn't quite get Christy's voice out of her head. _Fred slept with Alicia?_ He had never mentioned it. She had never asked though. She at least knew the rest of the girl's babble was unfounded. So perhaps that was also untrue. There was no way she could imagine Fred expecting her to sleep with George. In fact, though they shared everything else, she knew it would infuriate him. If there was anything she had learned about Fred, it was that he was jealous. She knew they flirted with each other's girlfriends, that didn't really bother her. Plus, she had a feeling if she asked him to stop, Fred would, probably George as well. They were just nice guys who loved to have fun. They weren't malicious like Christy had made them out to be. She suddenly wished Alicia hadn't graduated. It would have been easier to ask the girl if she had sex with Fred than it would be to ask him.

She fingered her quill while she thought of Alicia. She was really very pretty and had a great athletic body, not to mention beautiful hair. She glanced subtly at her own body. She was thin almost overly so, and she definitely didn't have Alicia's curves or muscles. Her hair was wild and her face rather plain. Even if he didn't sleep with her, Hermione couldn't come close to comparing. And if he had, she was hopeless. She tried to think if she had ever seen Alicia spend time with anyone younger, someone who wouldn't have graduated yet. She couldn't really think of anyone except Katie Bell. She however was dating George, and Hermione didn't want word to get back to the twins that she was asking around about Fred's sexual experience, or lack thereof.

She lifted her head from her book and notes to glance around the room. Katie sat near the fireplace with Leanne and a couple of girls that Hermione couldn't remember the names of. Gathering her courage, she made her way over to Katie. "Hello." She sat beside her on the floor. She noted that Ron was staring at Leanne. "How have you been?"

Katie looked surprised but answered casually. "I'm good. You?"

"Fine. I actually was wondering if I might have a word with you. Privately." The girl nodded and together they left through the portrait hole. They made their way to a deserted corridor. "This is going to sound completely mental, but I have to ask." Katie smiled encouragement. "You're good friends with Alicia Spinnet, right?"

Instead of replying, Katie started to laugh, loudly. After a minute she settled down enough to talk. "Oh, Hermione. Please tell me you don't believe those rumors. They're completely ridiculous." Hermione let out a gush of air. "I mean, I slept with George months ago and they didn't even joke with me to sleep with Fred. In fact, Fred rarely even flirts anymore." Hermione narrowed her eyes; she knew that part of the rumor was false. "You know how they are normally, flirting with every girl in sight. A wink here a smile there, I haven't seen Fred join in for ages. The most he ever gives me is a nudge with his elbow."

"Um…I didn't believe that part, not even for a second. What I was wondering was if Fred really did sleep with Alicia."

"Oh." Katie's face had turned serious. "Yeah, he did. She told me about it two years ago." She was speaking slowly as though choosing her words carefully. "I only know that it was her sixth year and it only happened a couple of times. They broke up a little before the Yule Ball. I don't know why, but I know it wasn't what the gossip said. You should talk to Fred about it, you know."

"Yeah, alright." She stayed still staring at her shoes. Katie walked around her and headed back towards the tower when Hermione stopped her. "Hey, do you think you could possibly not tell George that I was asking about this? It's kind of embarrassing and I was just curious." She couldn't bring herself to ask the girl if she knew if there were others. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to know. Really, she almost wished she hadn't asked about Alicia.

"Sure. No problem." She started to walk away. "So, could you in return not mention that I did it with George?"

"Deal."

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**A/N: Alright kiddies, you know the drill. How was it? Did it make you feel happy, sad, give you the giggles, make you angry? The only way I'll know is if you leave me a review. So go ahead and press that pretty little purple button.**

**Poll: The results are in! And my pleas for Oliver must have reached the right ears! YAH!!**

**1st place with a tie: Oliver and James Phelps with 23 votes apiece**

**3rd place: Tom Felton with 11**

**4th through 8th: Dan Radcliffe and Gary Oldman with 8 each; David Thewlis, Rupert Grint and others with 6 each **

**And 9th and 10th place goes to: Alan Rickman with 5; and Matthew Lewis with 3.**

**So there's a new poll up now on my profile. And I think you're going to like it. Give her a looksy and vote. But hey, if you vote other, could you PM me and let me know who it is. Because 'others' keeps getting several votes and I'd like to know who I'm leaving out. Thanks guys, you're awesome!**


	19. Letters

Fred was sitting down to lunch in the backroom of their shop when George came in with a scroll. "Here, this came for you." He tossed it to his brother and left to mind the shop. Fred gave it a curious look, it was Hermione's handwriting. He had just replied to her latest letter the day before. Her notes had been increasingly bizarre and random, as though there was something she wanted to say but didn't know how. _Maybe she wants to set up a time for those daydream charms._ He grinned as he opened the letter. It was extremely long; it looked more like an essay than a note. He shook his head and began to read while he continued eating. By the time he reached the end, he was finished with his food and ready to head back inside. It was in the last two lines, that the point of several weeks' worth of long winded letters became glaringly obvious. She asked him about his relationship Alicia Spinnet. He groaned and headed back inside to George. "What's wrong?"

"Hermione wants to know about Alicia. She heard rumors about out sixth year." To his annoyance, George laughed so loudly that he startled a young witch nearby. "It's not funny."

"Of course it is. Don't you remember what those gossip whores said about the two of you? And me for that matter."

"Yes, which is why it's not funny. Hermione apparently believes them."

"No, she doesn't. If she thought for one second that those rumors were true she'd ditch you before you could so much as blink." His twin patted his shoulder. "Brother, she just wants you to confirm what she already knows. Tell her that under no circumstances are you willing to share her with me. Unless she's into that. Than we're all for it."

"No we're not!" Fred elbowed his brother fighting a grin.

"You wouldn't share with your dear twin?"

"You bloody well know I wouldn't."

"Good. Now tell her that."

"Okay, okay, I see your point." He headed behind the counter for some parchment and a quill. He carefully composed his reply to Hermione's letter.

A week had past before Fred received another owl from Hermione. He was once again at his shop, this time minding the counter. He sighed as he examined another long letter from his girlfriend. He considered just skipping to the end to see what it was about but decided he had better not. "Bloody hell." He murmured.

"Another love letter?" George leaned over his shoulder to read. "You didn't tell her you shagged Alicia?"

"No." Fred rubbed his temples. "I didn't know how to bring it up; especially after that speech Mum gave us. And I know she hasn't been with anyone."

"How do you know? Did you ask her?"

"No need to ask. It's pretty obvious. Didn't you see the way she was nodding in agreement with Mum? Besides, who would she have slept with?"

"I don't know, Krum. Or maybe some Muggle boy."

"Krum?!? No way. She barely knew him." Fred could feel a pang in his belly at the thought of someone else being with his girl. "She's too-" He shook his head. "No."

"You should ask her. I doubt she has either, but you never know."

"If she had slept with him or someone else for that matter, she would be more adventurous with me. Right?"

"More than likely. Unless it was a bad experience." George put his arm around his twin's shoulder. "Look, be honest with her and trust her to be honest with you."

"Yeah." Fred pulled out supplies for his letter back to Hermione. He dreaded writing that letter. The thought of someone else being that intimate with her was unbearable and yet there he was about to tell her he had already been with a different girl. He felt like a hypocritical arse. It hadn't even been all that good with Alicia. It was awkward and fumbling and quick. If he could erase it from his past, he would.

Hermione rested on her bed, not ready to sleep yet, but needing the quiet away from the common room. Parvati and Lavender hounded her ceaselessly about her relationship with Fred. Top that off with Harry and his stupid Potions book, and she was near the breaking point. And it was only October. She wrote Fred earlier that day. She gave up with asking him indirectly. She had attempted in the first dozen letters but he responded by telling her how he would never share a girl with his brother no matter how much George begged him. She started when a peck came from the dorm window. It was the twin's handsome tawny owl baring Fred's answer. She opened it wearily and began to read. She sank to bed when she saw the affirmative. Her hand went to her chest she felt a little nauseous. He really had slept with Alicia.

She read on, taking in every word. He claimed that if he could do it over he wouldn't. He was sorry if it hurt her and he wished he could see her in person to convince her of the sincerity of his regret. He confirmed what Katie had told her that it had only been a few times and held no special place in his memory and 'certainly not in my heart'. He assured her his prior experience did not mean he expected anything further from her. At the very end of the letter, her breath caught. He wanted to know if she had any experience of which to speak. _That_ made her laugh. He couldn't be serious. She wrote him back unsure of what to say about what he revealed to her, so she neglected to mention it at all. Instead she addressed his question in the negative. She would send it off before breakfast in the morning.

Fred opened the shop up that morning to see an owl waiting patiently on the windowsill. "Hello, birdie." He took the letter and sat to read it. He hoped that it wasn't going to be a letter ending their relationship. He stilled his nerves as he read that besides a kiss, he was her first everything. A silly lopsided grin filled his face at the news and relief that she didn't end it all. She had pointedly avoided commenting on it, he noticed. "Great."

"What now?" George asked from the display he was stocking. He kept glancing over to where Verity was bent over gathering boxes she had dropped.

"She didn't say anything about it."

"And why is that not a good thing?"

"It means that she's saving it for when she sees me again." He tried to dread it, but it was hard at the moment. His brother was outright staring at Verity's bottom licking his lips. "She says Katie's doing well."

"What?" He snapped to attention. "Katie, right, that's great. I need to talk to her."

"I bet you do."

"Shut it." George grumbled as he went back to staring at the clueless girl.

"So, I'm breaking into Hogwarts next week. Do you want to come with me? You know, to see your girlfriend."

"Of course. Can't have you wandering around all by yourself, now can we?"

"Right you are." He helped stock the shelves while they planned their way in. "That solves it then, we need to write Ginny."

"Might help if we have Ron and Harry on our side as well."

"You're right. Especially since little Ronnie is a prefect. We can schedule it with his rounds."

"Brilliant." They each started notes to set their plan into action.

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**A/N: Yes, it's short, I know. But, it felt like a good stopping point. So, you know the drill, send me some reviews to motivate my bum. **

**Poll: So far Fred is way in the lead for the most shaggable. So, if you think, oh I don't know REMUS LUPIN would be a great shag, go to my profile and vote. I'll probably close it with my next chapter.**


	20. Face to Face

Saturday dawned bright and early and Hermione rose for her regular morning routine. She made her way down to breakfast, long before most of her fellow Gryffindors were even awake. Unfortunately, Parvati woke early as well and roused Lavender so they could pester their dorm mate. Hermione sat at her usual spot at the long house table. A glance to the staff table showed that most of the teachers were still sleeping. Her eyes swept over Professor Dumbledore but doubled back to him. He sat as normal as any other day, but he looked directly at her, which wasn't a common occurrence. She waited for him to make some sort of acknowledgement but he merely smiled at her and sat silently. Feeling unsettled by that look, Hermione tried to eat her toast and cereal as quickly as possible, only to be interrupted when her classmates sat across from her.

"Hermione, can I ask you a question?" Parvati began, but continued without waiting for a response. "You see, we've heard a few things about the twins."

"We were hoping you could clear a few things up for us." Lavender leaned forward and her hair dangled dangerously close to dipping into a large bowl of porridge. Hermione ignored them stuffing toast in her mouth to quash the desire to tell them what she thought of their nosiness. "Well, Christy Banner from Ravenclaw says that the twins are identical."

"Obviously." Hermione couldn't resist a roll of her eyes with the word.

"So, you've seen them _both_?" Parvati's mouth dropped open. The girls grasped hands and bounced in their seats making high pitched squeals. "Oh my god, Hermione. How are they?"

"Did you see them at the same time?" Lavender bit her lip looking entirely too excited.

"What are you on about?" Hermione knew she was missing some part of the conversation.

"Like you don't know. So, did you sleep with them both?"

"Or did you just see George naked? Were they wet?"

"Oh! Did they get naked at the same time, so you could compare?"

"You're completely mental. I have seen neither of them without their clothes on. No, I haven't had sex with Fred and certainly not with George." She felt her anger rising, but fought to keep her voice lowered. "Now, the next time either of you think of asking your ridiculous questions I _will _hex you."

"But you're a prefect." Lavender pouted.

"Fine, I'll give you detention after I hex you." She swallowed the last of her pumpkin juice. "Are we perfectly clear?" The girls nodded and she left the table with a smile on her face. She went to the library where hopefully she could stay busy enough not to think about Fred. She was still disappointed that he had been with Alicia. She sighed as she opened a large book.

She knew it was wrong to hold it against him. He wasn't dating her at the time; in fact it had been a year and a half before he had asked Hermione out. Part of the reason she was so upset was that she knew she could never compare to the beautiful quidditch player. Plus, she had no idea what to do when the time came. _If the time ever came_. She had kissed a total of three boys in her nearly 17 years. Jeff Phelps was her first kiss, he was her Muggle neighbor. They used to play together before she started Hogwarts. It was the summer after her third year; he met her nearly every day at the old tree swing in her backyard. One day, he grabbed her book and chucked it across the yard and planted a slobbery kiss half on her mouth, half on her chin. She shoved him and refused to let him over to her house anymore.

Her second kiss had been Victor Krum, the Durmstrang champion in her fourth year. After the Yule Ball, he escorted her to the staircase leading to Gryffindor Tower. His kiss was extremely wet and somewhat clumsy. She hadn't been sure if it was because of her inexperience or his. Two kisses later, his technique hadn't improved and he left for home. Her third partner was Fred. His kisses made her feel incredible. When they snogged her mind went blank and she could concentrate on nothing but the sensations coming from his lips and hands.

A chair scraped back beside her and Harry sat down joined a moment later by Ron. "What're you reading?" Harry spun her book so he could see the contents on of the page. He made a face and shoved it back to her. "We need you to come with us for a minute."

"What for?"

"It's important; we can't talk about it here." Ron closed her book while Harry stood up and pulled her chair out. "Come on, Hermione, hurry up." They rushed her up to the seventh floor.

--------------------------**Meanwhile**----------------------------

Fred and George apparated to Hogmeade, near Honeydukes. They casually made their way in and waited until the owner was busy with a customer, an old lady. They rushed into the cellar and down the trapdoor and into the tunnel that led to Hogwarts. Emerging from the passageway hidden by the one-eyed witch, the twins froze at the sight of Professor Dumbledore. He walked towards them but appeared not to see them. Not sure of what to do, Fred held as still as possible still clutching George's shirt where he had pulled him to an abrupt stop.

Dumbledore slowed as he passed directly in front of them. He turned merry eyes on them and continued along the corridor. "Good afternoon, Misters Weasley."

"Good afternoon, Professor." The twins chimed together. When Dumbledore rounded a corner, George turned to his brother. "Well, that was interesting."

"Think he knew we were coming?" Fred questioned.

"Looks like." George shrugged, they continued down the passageway towards their meeting place with Ginny. "You know its times like these I regret giving Harry our map."

"Tell me about it. Poor bloke really did need it though, didn't he?" They trailed along the shadows until Fred caught sight of Peeves floating about looking bored. "Maybe we should let Peeves in on the fun." George smirked at him and nodded. "Hey Peevsey."

"Miss us?" George continued. Peeves lowered closer to them smiling. "We brought a present for old Filtch."

"Care to drop these off for us?" Fred held out a bag filled with dung bombs. The poltergeist cackled snatching the sack away and heading in search of the caretaker. "Well, that should keep him busy."

"Keep who busy?" Ginny stepped out the shadows. "Snape was heading this way."

"Brilliant." The two said together. "Here you are Gin, keep him busy, will you?"

"Mind you, don't get caught." George cautioned. Their sister snorted as she took the bad of decoy detonators and left in the direction she had come. "Let's go. Harry and Ron better have done their jobs." The boys took the stairs to the seventh floor corridor as fast as possible. They found the familiar painting but no sign of the trio. "Go on. I'll keep an eye out here for them."

"Right. Have fun with Katie." Fred smirked as he entered the room. George intended to end things with Katie, he suspected she wouldn't have any opposition to this and planned to hang around the common room waiting for Fred.

"Quit shoving, Ron." Hermione moved away from his hand on her back.

"We're late." Ron sounded anxious.

"Late for what? You two still haven't told me what's going on."

"You'll see." Harry mumbled also in a rush. They topped the stairs and Hermione saw George standing near the door to the Room of Requirement. "Hey George."

"Hello. Running a bit behind aren't you?" George smiled at her confusion.

"What are you doing here George? You'll get into trouble. How did you even get in?" Hermione threw a string of questions at him knowing he wouldn't answer a single one. "Where's Fred?"

"Right here, love." Fred poked his head out of the door and motioned for her to join him inside.

"See you later." The other boys left for Gryffindor Tower. Hermione stood and stared at her boyfriend.

"Fred, what are you doing here?"

"We need to talk. Face to face, not through an owl."

"You should have waited until a Hogsmeade weekend. You'll get in such trouble if you're caught."

"Relax." Fred pulled gently on her hand and into the room.

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**A/N: Thanks guys! Over 300 reviews! Have I mentioned lately that you people are amazing? Because you are. I had this ready earlier but then I saw the Prisoner of Azkaban was on ABC Family. I couldn't resist, it has my beloved Lupin in it, you know.**

**Poll results: the obvious winner Fred with an unbelievable 21 votes!**

**2nd place: Sirius with 8 (see it was an enormous lead)**

**3rd: Draco with 6 tied with Charlie **

**4th: Remus with 4**

**5th: others with 3, including Cedric and Neville **

**6th: George with 2**

**7th: Snape also with 2**

**8****th: Harry with 1**

**And I'm shocked that Bill didn't get any votes considering his previous poll records. Maybe it's because he's married. **

**New poll up and it pertains to this story. So, if you want a say, you need to voice your opinion through the vote. I'll include others, but you'll have to PM me, so I can keep tabs on them. Thanks so much, you guys! You don't know how good you all make me feel.**


	21. Space

Fred pulled Hermione into the Room of Requirement with a tug on her hand. She looked nervous and ready to bolt. _Maybe I should've warned her._ The familiar garden filled the room, and he led her over to their tree. He looked sideways at her and noticed the locket was in place around her slender neck; he sighed in relief. They both sat leaning against the base of the large oak. He still held her hand in his own and placed them in his lap. They sat in silence until Fred could no longer take it. "I really am sorry, you know. If I could undo it, I would. I don't know what else to say. Is there some way I can make this better?"

"I don't know." Her voice was low and hesitant. "I suppose I should have expected it. But I didn't."

"I should have told you." He swallowed thickly, this wasn't going well. "I just didn't know how." She nodded but remained quiet. "Hermione?" She looked at him. "Are…are we okay?"

He saw her eyes glisten before she looked away. "I don't think so." She sniffled and Fred felt a lump rise in his throat. "I think I just need some time."

"Time?" He repeated in a choked whisper. "Time apart?"

"Yes." She turned to him, her face set. "Things have been pretty difficult here this year. Maybe if…" Her voiced trailed off and she again looked away.

"Hermione, you can't be serious." He squeezed her hand. "Please tell me you're not serious."

"I'm sorry, Fred." She removed her hand from his and stood. "I'll see you later, right?" She spoke in a little voice that he barely recognized. He sat in stunned silence not even responding to her question. She didn't wait however, just made her way to the exit. She didn't look back at Fred where he slumped forward head in his hands.

He stayed in that position for nearly an hour before he was disturbed. "Fred?" His twin approached him slowly giving him time to compose himself. "What happened?" He sat to his right and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"She said she needs time apart." Fred refused to lift his head; he didn't want to move at all. He heard his brother sigh beside him.

"I thought it might be something like that. She came back to the common room alone. Plus, her eyes were all red like she'd been crying."

Fred shook his head and faced George. "I can't believe she did that. I never thought…" He tilted his head back to rest on the tree. "If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have come."

"Come on, brother, let's get out of here." George gave him a hand up. "Give her time, maybe she'll come around."

"Maybe. George, I'm in no mood to sneak. Let's just get back to that damned passageway."

"Right you are." They were down to the second floor before they met up with any teachers. And there standing in the middle of the corridor was Dumbledore. "Professor."

"I think you'll find the front gates much more accessible this time of night." Dumbledore smiled at them, hands clasped in front of him. "And perhaps next time you want to pop in you should just wait for a Hogsmeade weekend. I'm sure the owners of Honeydukes would appreciate it." He winked at them.

"Yes, sir." They chorused and found their exit through the front gates before apparating to their flat.

Hermione had sped through the common room as quickly as possible. George had caught her eye and she self consciously wiped at her cheeks. She entered her dorm room and flung herself across her mattress. She could hear the footsteps of the other girls follow her up, so she drew her curtains and put up a silencing charm. "What did I do?" She rolled to her back and fingered the beautiful locket from Fred. "I'm an idiot." She rubbed her face and decided to skip dinner and just go to sleep.

Hermione woke disoriented. She had been having an extremely vivid dream about Fred, she groaned when reality broke through. It had been months since she talked to him. He hadn't owled her and she didn't know what to say to him, so she too had kept the silence between them. Yesterday morning her mother had wrote giving her permission to spend the first half of the winter holidays at the Burrow. She hadn't told anyone yet. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do, and until she did she wasn't going to involve any of the other Weasley's. Ron had been busy snogging Lavender constantly lately so she didn't have to feel his somewhat cold treatment of her too much. Ginny had taken to glaring at her often but saying nothing on the matter. Harry tried to remain neutral. He attempted to split his time between Ron and Hermione. Though, due to Ron's face being practically glued to his girlfriend's, Harry spent more time with her in the library.

Almost daily, she was tempted to take one of the Patented Daydream Charms. She resisted however, she knew it would only make matters worse. She wondered if Fred was even bothered by the mess or if he had simply moved on. _He's probably already dating someone new._ She sat in Ancient Runes playing with the locket which she still wore. She had taken it off for about a week but found she missed it dearly.

"Miss Granger?" The professor stood in front of her desk, snapping her attention back to the room.

"Yes, sir?" She tried to pretend she hadn't been somewhere else but to no avail. Her professor eyed her for a moment before continuing with the lesson. Hermione sighed; she had been having increasing difficulty concentrating in her classes. Professor McGonagall had even asked if she needed a trip to the Hospital Wing. What she needed was to talk to Fred, but it would have to wait until after the start of the new term. She had already written to her mum informing her that she would rather spend the whole of the holidays with her parents. Her mother had been delighted and she didn't have the heart to disappoint her now.

"Hermione?" She turned to find Cormac McLaggen standing entirely too close. She opened her mouth to respond, but he plunged forward without waiting for her acknowledge him. "Do you have a date for old Sluggy's Christmas party?"

"No." She didn't think she liked where this was going. She desperately tried to think of an excuse not to go with him.

"Wonderful, than you can accompany me. I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall and we can walk together."

"What? Oh, I…um…actually, I-"

"What's this I hear? Cormac snatched you up already, has he Miss Granger? Spectacular, really. I will see you both there then." Professor Slughorn continued down the corridor where he had been heading. McLaggen followed behind him making idle chat, leaving Hermione to dread the party more than she already had.

When Ron heard that she was meeting the older Gryffindor, he was furious. "What about Fred?"

"I doubt Fred's just sitting around pining after me. Besides, it's not as though I fancy Cormac, it's just a party. Harry's taking Luna." She tried to change the subject. Ron sent her a look of disgust and charged off to find Lavender and drown his anger in kisses.

The weeks up to and following Slughorn's party were terrible. She was happy once again that she had chosen to accompany her parents on holiday rather than spend it at the Burrow with her not so friendly friends. She had a relatively fun time with her parents; it had been years since she spent the entirety of a break with her family.

However, her peace of mind was not meant to last. She arrived back at school to a slightly warmer Ron and Ginny. After dinner the second night back, she managed to corner Harry away from the others. "Harry, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

"And you'll keep it between the two of us?"

"Yes, Hermione." He rolled his eyes at her.

"Did…did you see Fred at all?" She did a fairly good job of keeping her voice steady.

"Yeah, he was there."

"Alone?"

"Nope." Her heart plummeted. "George was with him." She glared at her best friend while he chuckled at her.

"That was mean Harry."

"I know, sorry." Although he didn't sound very sorry, or look it.

"Is he angry with me?"

"Hermione, I have no idea how Fred feels. If you're curious, you need to ask him. He didn't talk about you and I didn't ask." He patted her shoulder. "You really should write him, you know."

"Yes, I know." She sighed in defeat. She wasn't sure what she had hoped Harry would be able to tell her. Maybe she wanted to hear how sad and lonely Fred was, but that just made her heart twist. She decided to do the responsible thing and speak to him. She left Harry and headed to the owlery.

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**A/N: Don't hurt me please. I know this wasn't what most of you wanted but there it is. It's too late to take back now. HEY! JackMyles if you throw ONE more tomato at me, I will refuse to review your stories from now on. Empty threat, you say? Well we'll just see about that, won't we. ;)**

**So, this is your last chance to vote on the George's love life poll, I'm closing it before I update again. As it stands Verity is just a couple of votes ahead of Luna. George will date Verity, but whether or not he stays with her is in your capable hands. See how much I trust you? So, show me that you know how to make a responsible decision by reviewing this chapter. Who threw that? **


	22. An Apology

Fred ate his lunch watching George and Verity flirt while they stocked the shelves. His gut gave a little lurch when George pushed a stray hair out of the girl's face. He had been waiting patiently for Hermione to write him. It had been months and still no word from the young witch. He kept hoping that the next morning he would open the shop to find Hedwig waiting for him, but he encountered no such luck. Verity let out a loud snorting laugh and doubled over. Fred caught George's eye, his twin smiled and placed his hand on the girl's back. Fred shook his head, he really missed her. It had been nice to have someone to care about who cared about him. _Or at least I thought she cared about me._ He saw George whisper something in the blonde's ear; she looked up at him for a moment before nodding. His brother threw him a grin before leading her through the back door and out of sight.

Fred spent most of his time in his flat alone or taking occasional meals at the Burrow. His mum gave him a knowing smile every time. The last time he ate dinner with his parents was on Sunday and Molly had given him a parting hug along with a few words of comfort. "She'll come along. Just be patient." Patience wasn't one of his more noticeable characteristics. He was tired of being ignored. Several girls had made their interest obvious every time they visited his store. Despite hearing that Hermione had made a date, he found he couldn't do it. If she knew about it, it would just confirm her insecurities. Plus, Harry had reassured him that not only had Hermione not wanted to go with the boy but she also had a terrible time and spent the entire night avoiding him. Perhaps it was selfish but he was glad that she had been miserable.

He understood why she was upset. To some people it may not have made sense, but he really did understand. The sick feeling he had experienced at the thought of her being with someone else was unbearable. He didn't want to imagine what it would be like if she really had, and that was exactly what she was forced to deal with.

The door opened catching his attention. The pretty young witch smiled at him, she was one of the several that made her intentions at the shop quite clear.

"Hi Fred. How are you today?" She was persistent. She came into the shop at least twice a week and yet she never bought any merchandise. The girls could always tell him and George apart lately, as his twin was constantly mooning over their assistant.

"Afternoon." He said in a clipped voice. He was quite tired of this little game. She leaned on the counter and smiled at him. "Did you need something?"

"Yes, I do." She grinned suggestively.

"You can buy anything you find on the shelves. Otherwise, it's not for sale." He crossed his arms and gave her a determined frown.

"I was thinking more along the lines of _you_ buying _me_ a drink."

"No thanks."

The girl gave him a stubborn look. "Well, why not? I've been up here every week and I've never seen a girlfriend. So why not give me a chance?"

"She's still at Hogwarts." The girl narrowed her eyes as if she didn't believe him. After a minute of staring him down, she hurumphed and left the shop. "Bout time." He mumbled to himself when she was gone. The rest of the evening was uneventful for Fred. George however was another story. He and Verity didn't get back for nearly two hours, just in time to close up. "Had a good time, did you?"

"Excellent." George ran a hand through his hair and smiled.

"Where'd you go?"

"A gentleman never tells Fred." He grinned at his twin and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Already?"

"Not quite. But let's just say we had a _blowing_ good time."

"God, George!" He shoved his twin towards the stairs to their flat laughing. They ate a quick dinner and Fred went to bed.

The next week passed much the same. Until finally on Saturday, Fred woke early to a tapping on glass. "What the hell?" He drug himself out of bed and over to the window. Perched on the sill sat Hedwig. He let the bird in thinking it was another note from Harry but instead Hermione's neat handwriting greeted him. "Holy shit." He took the letter from the owl with shaking hands. He started to open it but he was too nervous to do it alone. "George!" He ran through the flat to his twin's room and burst in. "George! She wrote! She finally wrote!" He barely registered a shocked and naked Verity scrambling for the covers.

"What's it say?" George sat up, apparently unconcerned that his brother had just interrupted their intimate moment.

"Don't know. I haven't opened it yet."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on." He encouraged as Fred sat beside him.

"Um…should I…?" Verity whispered still trying to hide.

"Huh? No, no, you're fine." Fred waved her off and George nodded his agreement. If she was dating his brother she might as well get used to their complete lack of privacy for each other. His hands were shaking so bad he couldn't get the letter slit open and nearly ripped it.

"Hand it over." George took it from him and made quick work of unrolling it. He gestured back to Fred with it but he shook his head and waited for George to read it for him.

_Dearest Fred,_

"Well, that's a good start isn't it?" George smiled until he saw his brother had hid his face in his hands. He decided to take pity on him and read it straight through.

_Dearest Fred,_

_How are you? I am once again swamped with homework. I hope you had a happy Christmas. _

_Mine was good. I forgot how much fun I could have with my parents. I didn't realize how much I have missed them. _

"Get on with it already, Granger." George mumbled annoyed at her for drawing out the letter. Fred would rip him apart if he skipped any of it though, so he continued on.

_I've missed you as well. _

"What?" Fred grabbed the letter from his hands and smiled. She really said it, it wasn't just George having a good laugh.

_I hope you can forgive me for being such an idiot. I don't know what came over me. I knew it was a mistake before I even left you in that room but I couldn't make myself turn around. I didn't know how to face you. I'm so terribly sorry. I was just so filled with jealousy and didn't know how to deal with it. I've never felt this way about anyone before. Sometimes I feel as though I will burst if I don't see you soon. I know I have been dreadful to you. I can only hope that you will find it in your extremely handsome and charming heart to forgive me. That is if you aren't already involved with someone else. I will understand if you are. Please forgive me._

_Yours always,_

_Hermione_

"Blimey!" George clapped him on the back. "Who would've thought you'd have Hermione bleeding Granger begging your forgiveness?"

"Not me." Fred agreed.

"You are going to write?"

"Of course!"

"Are you going to make her sweat it out first?"

"No. I'm not going to waste any more time without her."

"Good for you. What time is it anyway?"

"No idea. Hedwig woke me up."

"Guys." Verity poked George's side with a finger. "I hate to interrupt but I have to pee."

"Go ahead." The twins said together turning their attention back to the letter and discussing how he should respond.

"Guys! I don't have any clothes on."

"Oh! Right, sorry. I'll start breakfast, then." Fred grinned and left the room.

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**A/N: Loved it? Hated it? Indifferent to it? Let me know. Well, I've closed the poll on George's love life. Verity beat out Luna by 1 vote. And let me just say that whoever voted for 'alone and miserable' you are not nice. lol. I just put that there for a laugh, never expected someone to vote for it. Poor George. You'll love the next poll, it's gonna be a HARD choice. Haha. Go look, you'll see why I'm laughing. **


	23. Daydream

Fred grabbed Ron's birthday present and waited for George to finish his breakfast. They were going to Hogsmeade to look into buying Zonko's. They had held off until that weekend because not only was it Ron's birthday but also a Hogsmeade weekend for those attending Hogwarts. If they were lucky they'd be able to see their brother and Hermione. He had exchanged several owls with her over the past few weeks and their relationship was back on, though still a bit rocky. However, Fred was determined that would change once they were able to see each other face to face. "All set." George called entering the room.

"Let's go." They apparated straight to the street in front of Zonko's. After an hour or so of negotiating and inspecting the premises, the twins agreed to make a decision within the month. They were surprised by the lack of students filling the streets. Sure it was early but there should have been some kids getting a prompt start, it was nearing ten already. "Where is everyone?" Fred suggested they get a butterbeer from The Three Broomsticks.

"Hey, Rosemerta. How's business?" George asked the curvy woman as they seated themselves at the bar.

"Not great. You boys?" Madam Rosemerta served them their drinks. The pub was nearly empty.

"Pretty good actually."

"Know why the students aren't here yet?"

"They're not coming. All future trips have been cancelled until further notice." She leaned on the bar sighing. "It's because of what happened to that girl last time."

"Yeah, I guess we shouldn't be surprised."

"Probably not. Maybe Dumbledore will let us in to see Ron then."

"Couldn't hurt to knock could it?"

"Thanks." They left their drinks barely touched sitting on the counter. As the gates to Hogwarts came into view so did the form of a young woman. "Who's that?"

"Not sure." They got closer and the girl's mousy brown hair became visible along with her pallid face. "Tonks?"

"Wotcher Fred, George." Tonks greeted them opening the gates for them. Everything about her seemed depressed, her hair, her coloring, even her voice. "I was just coming to get you. Dumbledore wants me to bring to you to the Hospital Wing." She closed the gate behind them and started on the walk back.

"Whoa! Why the Hospital Wing?" Fred started.

"What happened?" George picked up the questioning.

"Is everyone alright?"

"I don't know. He just asked me to bring you there. Didn't tell me why." She walked slowly but the twins didn't have the patience to go at her leisurely pace.

They took off at a run, vaulting the stairs and making good time to the entrance of the infirmary. Without hesitance they entered and looked around wildly. "Harry!" George called as they ran towards him. "Ron!" George grabbed hold of Fred's shoulder.

"What happened? Is he alright?" Fred steadied himself with a hand on each George and Harry's shoulders.

"Should be." Ginny launched herself into her brothers' arms. Fred released Harry to fold Ginny between him and his twin. He heard a shuffling beside him and a small hand touched his side tentatively. He looked to see Hermione's tear-streaked face looking back at him. He swept her into the hug, smooshing her next to Ginny, who wrapped an arm around her. Before he even realized what had happened Harry moved behind the girls and completed the circle by putting a hand on both of the twins' forearms.

After a few minutes when the girls had stopped crying, they all relaxed into the chairs and started discussing theories of who could've planted the poison. Fred kept one arm wrapped firmly around Hermione's waist; she sat pressed up against his side, arms wrapped around her knees, head resting on them. Before long they were joined by Hagrid then their parents. And then Madam Pomphrey exited her office to enforce the guest limits and talk to Molly and Arthur.

Hermione rose to leave with Harry and Hagrid, a hand on her arm made her pause. Fred walked out with her, behind the other two who were still talking. "Are you alright, Hermione?" He ran a hand down her hair.

"I will be." She took a deep breath and met his eyes. He wore a smile, but she could tell it wasn't genuine. "You?"

"Yeah, you know me."

"I do." She studied him closely. His face was pale setting his freckles off more than usual. The faux smile was still in place but his eyes were wide and dark. He didn't look good. She touched her hand to his cheek and he when he sighed his entire body seemed to sag in exhaustion. "Oh, Fred." She wrapped her arms around him and mimicked his stroking of her hair. She felt his arms encircle her and hold her tightly. She wasn't sure how long she held him before Mrs. Weasley's voice wafted over to them.

"Fred, George needs you dear." Her voice was soft and somewhat choked.

"Coming Mum." He gave her a last squeeze and kissed her forehead. She could still feel the way he trembled in her arms when she turned to catch up to Harry.

The term was coming quickly to an end. June had already arrived. Hermione was pleased with the way her and Fred's relationship had progressed. She hadn't seen him since that day in the Hospital Wing, but they had been owling each other several times a week. She was surprised at how everything else seemed easier to deal with once she had Fred back at her side. Although, it definitely helped that Harry hadn't retrieved that awful potions book from the Room of Requirement. And his obsessing over Malfoy had dulled since he started dating Ginny. Ron too was in a better mood lately, since he broke up with Lavender.

They sat together in the common room enjoying a relaxed evening. Hermione glanced at the clock and stretched her arms above her head pretending to be tired. "Well, I'm off to bed guys. 'Night."

"Already?" Ginny eyed her suspiciously.

"Yeah, it's been a long day." She tried to keep the smile from her lips but she was sure Ginny noticed.

"Pleasant dreams." Ginny called as she made her way to the stairs.

Hermione lay back on her bed and stole another glance at her clock, two minutes left. She had already sealed her curtains and placed a silencing charm around her bed, just in case one of her roommates got curious. One minute. She picked up the small piece of candy and looked at it a little suspiciously. Thirty seconds. She smiled as thoughts of Fred were already filling her head. Time. She popped the candy into her mouth and as soon as she swallowed her surroundings became hazy and faded.

She opened her eyes to see a vast empty beach. In front of her stood her boyfriend. He wore a pair of blue swim trunks with no shirt, his semi-long hair blew about in the gentle breeze. He stepped forward and caught her in a passionate kiss. His hands dug into her curls as he tilted her head back to deepen the kiss. She moaned when his tongue moved to slide with hers. He pressed one hand to her lower back and leaned so that they fell in soft slow-motion to the white sand.

He rested on top of her with one leg between hers, his hands rubbed up and down her sides as his lips caressed hers. He grabbed the edge of her tank top and pulled it over her head, revealing her bikini top. He cupped one small breast while his lips moved to her neck. He placed open mouthed kisses down her throat to her shoulder. She wiggled underneath him, but ran her hands confidently over his back. He hummed into her shoulder and she gasped at his touch. She was instead concentrated on the slight movement of his hips against hers.

He grinned at her before he returned his lips to hers, sucking and nibbling at her tongue and lower lip. He untied the straps of her top behind her neck. He ran his fingertips down her neck to her chest, pulling her bikini down with them. His mouth trailed behind them, licking and kissing. "Aaaahh!" She bucked into him and received an appreciative moan. She ran her hand down his back to his bum and cupped it over his shorts. But when he lowered his mouth to suck gently she slid a finger under the waistband of his shorts. He rocked his hips faster making Hermione somewhat light headed. Then she moved the rest of her fingers to join the first and they explored his hot skin slowly.

Just as she palmed his firm bottom her surroundings started to get hazy again. "No!" She opened her eyes as the beach and Fred faded and disappeared. "Bloody Hell!" She threw an arm over her face. She was flushed and more aroused than she had ever been in her life. _Now what?_

**A/N: Several of the following chapters have been slightly edited. **

**Also, I wrote a little companion fic to this. It's just a one-shot about George and Verity and that day in the shop (chap 22). It's called Whispering Weasley. You can find it on my profile of course. **


	24. Fred's Dream

Fred checked with George to make sure which night he would be out with Verity. They were getting along well and George had ceased flirting with the girls that came to the shop. Fred took that as a sign that his brother was serious about the pretty assistant. Never in his memory could he think of a time when George hadn't chatted up nearly every female in sight. Honestly, he had been the same way before Hermione. He glanced at the clock on the wall. He had five minutes until his Patented Daydream Charm date with his girlfriend. He relaxed on the couch and wondered what she would dream about, if she would fantasize about them having sex.

Half lost to his fantasy about Hermione's dream, he almost missed their scheduled time. They wanted to take them at the same moment. He quickly popped the little candy into his mouth. His living room faded and was replaced by a large bedroom. He looked up to see a very pregnant Hermione leaning against the doorframe to what he assumed to be the bathroom. She was wrapped in a fluffy blue towel. "Damn." He rose to his knees on the bed and grinned when she dropped the towel and waddled towards him. Her lips were soft on his, her hands moving slowly down his chest and abdomen. He palmed a heavy breast and kissed his way down to it. She threw her head back to enjoy his attentions; a soft sigh escaped her lips. He returned to her lips and felt her hand travel down past his belly.

They enjoyed each other's touch for several minutes before he lifted her up and flipped her to her back on the bed, making her chuckle. He placed gentle kisses all over her body, paying special attention to her swollen belly. Drawing her knees up he savored every second of being with her. He kept his weight on his arms, careful not to crush her or the baby. She started to tremble beneath him and he felt his own release rising when she started to fade. "What the-?" He blinked, confused for a minute before he remembered it was just the daydream candy. "Well, that was unexpected," he said, adjusting on the couch; his pants were uncomfortably tight but he was reluctant to get up and let go of the fantasy. He reached down to fix the problem.

"You're not planning on taking care of that right now are you?"

"Bloody hell, George!" Fred jumped to his feet, turning to face his snickering twin. "You're supposed to be out!"

"I was. We're back."

"We?" Fred groaned.

"Hi." Verity popped an extremely red face out from behind George. It couldn't have been plainer that she was barely controlling the urge to laugh.

"Hi Verity." He sighed, still aware that there was a highly noticeable bulge in his pants. "Suppose this is payback?"

"Sounds good to me." She snorted with the effort to hold in her mirth.

"We're going in there." George pointed to his bedroom. "You're not taking care of that," he pointed to Fred's pants, "in here. We had an agreement. You break it, so will I."

"I wasn't going to. I was just trying to make more room." He didn't like the almost-whiny tone his voice had taken. He cleared his throat and continued. "I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep."

"Sure you are." George led a giggling Verity to his bedroom. Fred heard a squeal before a silencing charm was placed on the door.

"Damn George," he mumbled on his way to the shower. He was going to have to find some relief before attempting to sleep. Plus, he couldn't forget his message to Hermione. They had promised to write each other afterwards and mail it off first thing in the morning. He couldn't wait until the term ended in just over a week. Hermione had already received permission from his parents to spend almost the entire summer with them at the Burrow. She hadn't mentioned why but he figured an explanation could wait until he saw her again.

After his shower, Fred relaxed and began to write the letter to his girlfriend. He decided to keep it short and non-descriptive.

My sweet Hermione,

That was bloody brilliant! We'll have to do it again sometime.

Always yours,

Fred

He was considering adding more to it when a tapping at the window caught his attention; it was Hedwig. He opened the glass and gave the owl a treat while he read the small piece of parchment.

Dearest Fred,

Wow!

Missing you,

Hermione

He grinned and attached his note to Hedwig to return to the bushy-haired Gryffindor, he knew she'd be waiting. He lay in bed and let memories of the dream wash over him. He was still surprised Hermione had been pregnant. He knew he cared more for her than he ever had for any other girl but it still shocked him that he had fantasized about her having his baby. Can't tell her about that part though, don't want to scare her off again.

"Fred! Fred, wake up!" George shook his twin awake.

"George? What is it?" Fred was instantly alert at the look of panic on his brother's face.

"Hogwarts was attacked last night."

"What?" He jumped out of the bed and threw on the first clothes he could find. "How? Is everyone alright?"

"No. Mum said Bill's at St. Mungo's."

"Oh god." Fred sat back down on the bed and was joined by George.

"She said he would be alright, but…"

"What?"

"I don't know. There was something in her voice that definitely said everything wasn't going to be fine. And Fred…Dumbledore's dead."

"No. No way!"

"Yeah. Look Mum and Dad are at St. Mungo's. She only partially flooed us, so she didn't give details or anything. But they're waiting for us at the hospital."

"Right. Let's go."

The twins had arrived an hour ago and were shocked to see Bill. He was a mess. Lupin was staying close by at all times. He wanted to be near when Bill woke up to answer any questions. Fred wanted to get into Hogwarts to see Hermione but McGonagall wasn't allowing anyone in at the moment except parents that were taking their children home. Apparently, the school was in chaos what with all the parents, Ministry officials, and general well-wishers and gawkers. They would be attending the funeral in two days along with the rest of their family and Order members.

"Well brother, things are about to get complicated," George told him after they apparated back to their flat later that night.

"Yup. We better figure out what our part in this war is going to be."

"Too right you are."

Hermione sat alone in her dormitory. She had to decide what she was going to do to keep her parents safe during the approaching war. She hadn't yet committed herself to hunt Horcruxes with Harry, or at least not verbally. She had some major planning to do. However, she had already started setting things in motion when she asked Mrs. Weasley to stay at the Burrow for the entirety of the summer. In fact, she knew what she had to do for her parents; she was just afraid of the results, whether they were immediate or longer down the road. Plus, she had to help Ron work out his situation, which would be much more difficult.

The next morning, Hermione walked down to the Entrance Hall with Harry and Ron. They followed Professor McGonagall outside where chairs had been set up for the funeral. She cried throughout the whole thing, leaning on Ron who sat beside her. When Harry wandered off, she and Ron followed giving him time to finish talking the Minister before approaching. At last, she and Ron committed themselves and Harry acknowledged it. They sat for a while in companionable silence.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, the carriages will be leaving to take students to the Hogwarts Express in a few minutes. Please do not be late." McGonagall was pale, her eyes red rimmed. "Mr. Weasley your parents are waiting for you." She walked stiffly away. The trio followed suit and headed back to the small crowd of people still standing near Dumbledore's tomb.

"Hermione." Fred pulled her in for a tight hug.

"Hi Fred." She squeezed him back. "I've got to catch the train." He sighed and she kissed his cheek. "I'll see you in a week." She started to pull away but he didn't release her.

"Be careful, love," he whispered in her ear and let loose of her. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye." She gave him a peck on the lips and turned to say her farewells to Ron and Ginny.

"Hermione dear." Mrs. Weasley engulfed her in a crushing hug. "Take care. We'll be waiting for you."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Finally, she made her way to the carriages that would take them from Hogwarts for the last time.


	25. DH Begins

Fred waited at the Burrow with the rest of the Weasley's and Fleur. Charlie was still in Romania, he wouldn't be coming until closer to the wedding date. And Percy of course wasn't there either. The rest of the crowd sat in the living room awaiting Hermione's arrival. She had sent an owl saying that she would apparate to the Burrow that night. It was getting late and everyone was anxious and arguing over whether or not someone should go and make sure she was safe. "She's here." Bill announced from his position near the window. Fred, Ginny, and Ron all ran out the door with George following at a jog.

"Hermione?" Ginny called. The bushy-haired girl looked up with a tear-stained face. "Are you alright?" The three wrapped her in a lopsided hug. George not wanting to be left out flung himself on the group, making them wobble and nearly topple over. "George," Ginny sounded amused yet irritated.

"I'm fine guys, really." Hermione's voice was strong but she made no move to untangle herself from her friends. They held on for a minute or two before George decided it was long enough.

"Alright, to the house with you two. Mum's going to burst if we don't get in there and assure her Hermione's safe." George ushered Ron and Ginny towards the house, throwing a wink over his shoulder at his twin.

"How are you?" Fred cupped her cheek to get a good look at her. Her cheeks were flushed from crying, her eyes were red and slightly swollen. She had dark circles under her eyes as if she hadn't been sleeping well.

"It was just harder than I expected." She took a deep breath and buried her face in his shirt. "They were making plans to leave for Australia when I left."

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." He kissed the top of her head and petted her hair.

"Not your fault." He closed his eyes when she nuzzled his chest with her nose. "Are you staying tonight?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes."

"Then consider it done." He opened his eyes and saw George gesturing for him to come in. "We better get in there. It's too dark to be out here."

"Thank you Fred." She kissed him through his shirt directly over his heart.

"Anytime." He led her into the house where she was promptly pulled into a huge hug by Mrs. Weasley and swept off to the kitchen to eat. "George." The twins made their way off to the side of the room where they wouldn't be overheard.

"Yeah, I'm going home alone, aren't I?" He clapped his twin on the back.

"You mind?"

"Nah. I'll just give Verity a call."

"You really like her, huh?"

"Yeah, I do." They looked at each other for a full minute, then grinned identically. "Who would've thought?"

"Not me, that's for sure."

"Thought what?" Ron had moved over to them.

"Nothing important, little brother."

"Come on. Can't you just tell me for once?"

"Nope." Fred slung an arm around his shoulders. "But I will make a deal with you."

"What kind of deal?"

"We'll let you pick any two things from the shop that you want."

Ron's eyes widened at the proposition. "In exchange for what?"

"You don't ask any questions tonight. And you don't rat on anybody."

"What are you planning?"

"Nothing specific. Is it a deal?"

He looked at the twins uncertainly but his greed got the better of him. "Deal."

"Excellent!" The twins patted him on his back and gave him a shove away from them. He gave them a dirty look but quickly covered it when Molly came back into the room. "Mum, I'm going to sleep in my old room tonight."

"Oh! Alright dear." Mrs. Weasley beamed at her son. "I think it's time for everyone to head for bed anyway. Will you be staying too…George?"

"No. It's my turn to open the shop," George lied without blinking an eye.

"Okay then, goodnight dears." Mrs. Weasley hugged George, Bill and Fleur before they left. "Off to bed with you lot." She hugged each of the others and sent them upstairs to their rooms.

"Meet me in my room in ten minutes," Fred whispered to Hermione.

"What?" Her eyes were huge with shock. "Fred, I can't. What about Ginny and Ron."

"They won't say anything. Just get dressed and then come to my old room." He kissed her cheek and headed for his bedroom.

Hermione watched the door shut behind her boyfriend. She followed Ginny to her bedroom and put on her night clothes. "Um…Gin?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll cover for you."

"How did you know?"

Ginny laughed. "Please, George was obviously lying about having to open the shop. They do it together every morning. Besides, he wants some time alone with you. Has for a while now. Go on, just pretend like your heading to the bathroom."

"Thanks Ginny." Hermione smiled at her friend and opened the door.

"Hey, don't knock, just go in."

"Why?"

"Mum'll hear if you knock." Hermione's eyes widened and she nodded. She definitely did not want to be caught trying to sneak into the twins' room by Mrs. Weasley. Ginny shook her head as she shut the door.

Hermione walked calmly to the bathroom. When she reached the door, she glanced around but didn't see anyone. She darted quickly to Fred's room and slipped inside. She opened her mouth to speak but the handsome red head held a finger to his lips to quiet her. He picked up his wand and placed silencing and locking charms on the door. "Okay, go ahead."

"Hey." She stayed close the wall, not knowing what to say or do. She glanced down at his body and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. He was bare-chested and wore a pair of boxers. His body was magnificent, better than it had been even in her fantasy. She tore her eyes away from his muscular chest and abdomen and looked up into his smirking face. "Oh shut it." She mumbled grinning.

"Didn't say a word." He fought to keep his voice casual. In truth, he had been staring just as much as she had, he just happened to look up a couple seconds before her. He longed to run his hands down her body. She was wearing a yellow tank top and matching cotton pants that looked soft and worn. He had been about to put his own long pants on when she slid in his room without knocking. Must have been warned by Ginny. But, after the way she stared at his body, he decided to forgo the pants and stick to boxers. He grabbed her hand and led her to the edge of the bed to sit. He tried not to let her nerves get in the way of them enjoying each other's company. "I'm not expecting anything you know. I just wanted to be close to you."

"Me too," she whispered, not looking at him.

"I missed you." He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear so he could see her face.

"I missed you too, Fred." She finally looked at him. He felt his heart start to pound. Her eyes were shiny and large and her lips formed a soft smile. He watched as her eyes focused on his lips. "What was your daydream like?"

"Huh?" Her question threw him completely. He had been mesmerized by her eyes. "Oh, you know. You, me, a nice big bed." He grinned when she rolled her eyes. "You?"

"Oh, you know. You, me, a nice empty beach."

"A beach, huh? Sounds fun." He stroked her cheek; she was staring at his lips again. "What'd I do?"

"Kissed me." Her face turned red.

He chuckled softly and kissed her like she had kissed him in his dream. "And then?"

"We lay down." He mimicked her dream.

"What next?" he asked between kisses. He delighted when she adjusted her legs so that he was between them.

"You took my shirt off." Her voice was airy. He moaned and reached for the edge of her top. He expected her to stop him, but she arched her back so he could remove it.

"Shit," he whispered huskily to himself when her pale breasts were revealed; she hadn't worn a bra. He didn't wait for instruction this time. He moved a hand over one small breast and caressed it softly while he kissed a path down to the other. He couldn't resist the urge to rub against her when she whimpered and moaned. "What else?"

"You're already doing it." Hermione was breathless. It was like her dream, but a hundred times better. She didn't know what to do with her hands so she tried what she had done in the dream. She skimmed her hand down his back and just underneath the hem of his shorts but stopped short. She wasn't confident like she had been in the dream. What if he didn't really like that?

"Don't stop now," Fred panted against her breast. He was trembling slightly and looked strained.

"Are you alright?" She still didn't move her hand.

"Seriously?" He looked amused but pained. She nodded and felt relieved when he chuckled. "I'm holding on by a thread here."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Hermione, nothing is wrong. You just feel really, really good underneath me."

"Oh." She was surprised. She hadn't realized. Taking a deep breath, she moved her hand further under his boxers and was rewarded with a deep moan when she cupped his bottom. He pressed against her harder. "Oh god!" Warmth filled her lower belly.

"Wearing knickers?" His hand moved to explore her pants when she nodded that she was. He slipped his hands under her pants but above her panties and held her bum up a little higher. The new angle had her gripping his shoulder tightly while she tried to not dig her fingernails in. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut when her body started twitching on its own. She had no idea what she saying or if they were even words at all when that warmth radiated throughout her body. Fred grunted and stiffened above her. They stayed like that for a moment before he collapsed on top of her. She could feel his labored breathing and ran her fingertips up his back. "Unexpected," he mumbled into her neck where his sweaty forehead rested.

She tried to respond but the words were stuck in her throat so she just nodded.

"Ya' 'k?" He turned his head so he could see her face.

"Yes," she answered him honestly. "Surprised." He smiled at her.

"Need a shower." He didn't move though. "God you feel good." He wiggled against her making her chuckle. "Beautiful." He kissed her neck. After another few minutes Fred finally groaned and pushed himself up. He took a moment to appreciate her beauty before climbing off of her.

Fred grabbed his checkered pants from the desk where he had discarded them earlier and headed off to the bathroom, throwing her a wink before he dashed out of the door.


	26. Plans for the Future

Hermione lay still for several minutes before getting up to look for her shirt. She was shocked at what had just happened. Her body_still_ felt tingly. After slipping her shirt on, she borrowed Fred's wand and muttered a cleaning charm. She sat on the edge of his bed waiting for him to get back from the shower. She felt self conscious just sitting there, but she wasn't sure if she was supposed to stay or go back to Ginny's room, which she really didn't want to do, so she waited. Five minutes or so later, she had pulled her legs up on the bed and was sitting cross-legged in the middle of it trying to keep her drowsiness at bay. Just as her head started dropping, the door opened and shut quietly and Fred replaced the charms to ensure their privacy. "Sorry, ran into Bill." He sat in front of her on the bed with his legs stretched out around her. 

"It's okay." She tried to hide her yawn. "Sorry. It's been a long day."

"No problem." He moved beside her and tugged her to lie down alongside him. She snuggled close to the damp skin of his chest. He slipped his arms around her so that her head was pillowed on his bicep and the other rested heavily on her hip. She held herself stiffly not sure what to do with her hands. "Wherever feels comfortable." He answered her unspoken question as he slid a knee between her thighs. Gradually she moved her topmost arm to rest on his side, the other hand she let stay palm flattened against his chest. "G'night love."

"Night." She yawned and wiggled closer to his rapidly warming body. She fell into a peaceful sleep while Fred stroked her hair to fan out over his arm and pillow. 

----------------------------------------------

The first thing Fred noticed when he woke up was the incredible warmth covering half of his body. He lay on his back with one hand tangled desperately in Hermione's curls, the other gripping her thigh where it was thrown across his abdomen. She was still sleeping soundlessly with her upper body lying half atop him. He unwound his hand with difficulty while attempting not to wake the slumbering girl. One finger however was hopelesslysnarled in her frizzy curls. He tugged gently but it wouldn't budge. It amazed him that hair so soft and beautiful could cause so much trouble. He used his opposite hand to help his stuck digit escape and accidentally pulled too hard.

"Ouch!" Hermione hollered as she woke. She appeared disoriented, eyes taking in the room and the man on whom she lay. When her eyes came to rest on his she smiled up at him. "Fred, what are you doing?"

"I'm stuck." He grinned back at her helplessly.

She gave a slight tug of her head with no results. "Oh my." She attempted to turn her face so that she could better see the knot that centered around his middle finger, but it was tangled up close to her scalp preventing her from seeing it properly. "You're just going to have to yank it." 

"Are you certain? Isn't that going to hurt?" 

"Yeah. But I don't see any way around it."

"Alright. Ready?" Fred grimaced as he gave a heave from her hair.

"OUCH!" 

"It's still won't come out! Should I try again?"

"No! No, we need help."

"Ginny." The pair awkwardly tried to rise from the bed at the same time. But Hermione gave another yelp as they went to exit the bed on different sides resulting in her head being snapped back. "Oh shit, Hermione, I'm sorry." He wiggled his way over to her side and helped her sit back up so they could rise together. "Alright, we have to make this quick." He cracked his door open a fraction and peaked out into the hallway. "Let's go." He whispered. They were just outside the bathroom door when Bill emerged from behind it.

"Morning." Bill mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Hermione purposely kept her eyes off of his well defined chest covered with a snug fitting tank top. "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing. Just saying good morning." Fred lied smoothly. He tried to pretend that he was merely playing with her hair instead of being tangled in it.

"Right. Well, you should put some clothes on before Mum sees you." Bill's eyes strayed up to her hair. He blinked at them for a moment then grinned as he headed back to his room. "That looks painful." He called over his shoulder.

"He knows." Hermione whispered furiously in his ear.

"Yeah, he does." Fred restrained his chuckle and led her to Ginny's room where they slipped inside without knocking.

"It's about time. Mum's already in the kitchen." Ginny was already dressed in her day clothes and sat brushing her hair. "Fred what on earth are you doing to her?"

"My finger's stuck." He gave a small tug to demonstrate.

"Hey! Stop that." Hermione pulled her head back straight. "Help us."

Ginny rolled her eyes at the pair but moved forward to free her brother. It took her less than thirty seconds to release his finger.

"Oh thank god." Hermione rubbed the now sensitive spot.

"I better go get dressed." He kissed her on the cheek and headed back to his own room.

"So?" Ginny questioned Hermione as soon as the door clicked shut.

"So, what?" Hermione pulled out her clothes and started to dress.

"So, how was it?" Ginny sat on her bed and waited. "But he is my brother, mind you. Don't give too many details."

"It was amazing, Gin." Hermione sighed as she buttoned her pants. "_He_ was amazing." She sat on her cot facing her only female friend. "Ginny, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did you and Harry…have you ever had sex?" She rushed the sentence, face turning red.

"No. Harry and I came close a couple of times but he always stopped us before it got that far."

"You would have let him, then?"

"I don't know. I think so, yeah. Did you shag my brother?"

"No. Not exactly."

"How can you 'not exactly' shag someone?" The red head chuckled.

"We didn't…that is to say, we still…we were still dressed. But he…and I did as well, for that matter."

"Ah…" Ginny was quiet for some time and continued to brush her hair. So Hermione picked up her brush and tried to wrangle her mess of curls. "Are you going to?"

"I don't know. I won't say I didn't enjoy myself. But I don't know that I'm ready to move further. And I want it to mean something, you know? I don't want it to happen just because I got caught up in the moment."

"I can understand that. I bet Fred can too. He's actually really patient as long as it doesn't involve food or quidditch."

"Thanks Ginny."

"No problem."

----------------------------------

"Fred, I need to talk to you." Hermione rested a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. It had been nearly two weeks since he had stayed the night at the Burrow. Fred raised his head from the broom he was maintenancing. 

"Sure." He looked at George before he followed her to an empty area out in the back yard. "Is everything alright?" He looked nervous.

"Yes. It's fine. But, there's this thing I've needed to tell you. And I just haven't because, well because I'm not sure how you'll take it." She paused and fidgeted before she leapt into the speech she had prepared.

"You're not ready." Fred said simply and grabbed her hands. "It's alright. I know things got carried away that day in my room. That honestly wasn't what I had in mind when I asked you to stay with me." He kissed her palms one at a time. "I'll wait as long as you want."

"Oh Fred." Hermione felt her eyes get a little moist. This wasn't what she had planned to talk to him about, though it was true that it needed to be said. "You're right. I'm not ready to-for anything else yet. Not that that night wasn't wonderful, because it was. It really was. We both got caught up in the moment but I don't regret it. In fact, it's going to be a fond memory for me. While I'm away."

"Away? What are you talking about?" 

"Ron and I are leaving with Harry after the wedding. There's something we have to do." She nibbled her lower lip while she watched his reaction. He was silent and seemed focused on something on her forehead.

"Is it about the coming war? About You-Know-Who?"

"Yes." She didn't hesitate to tell him the truth, but she knew she had to hold her tongue beyond that. "Please don't ask me anything else about it. I can't say." 

"It's going to be dangerous, isn't it?"

"Yes." 

He let out a long breath, looking away. "Does the Order know about it?"

"No. And it has to stay that way."

"Will you be back before you head to school?"

"No, Fred. We're not going back to Hogwarts this year." 

"You're not going to attend your seventh year? What about NEWTS? And-"

"This is more important than NEWTS or finishing school. I know you never expected me to say something like that, so it should tell you how serious this is. It's the reason, I sent my parents away. Not just to keep them safe while I'm gone, but so they'll be happy if I don't come back." Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of her parents. "I wish I could tell you more. But I can't, it would only put you in danger."

He sighed. "Who else knows?"

"Ron wants to tell your parents tonight. I couldn't let you find out like that though, you had to know first."

"Thanks." He mumbled before finally looking at her. "Hermione, you know I care about you, right?"

"Yes and I care about you too, so much." A couple tears spilled silently down her cheeks.

"George and I have been discussing what our part will be in all of this. We've got some ideas of what we can do to help. But if there's anything I can do to help you, it comes first. Even if it's something that you can't explain the reason for, I'll still do it." He wiped thetear tracksoff of her face. 

"Thank you, Fred." She let herself be pulled into his embrace. She took in a deep breath, determined to memorize the scent of him for the long journey ahead.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! And for all of the reviews, over 500 now! You guys really are awesome!**

**Poll results:**

**Surprise surprise, the winner is: Fred with 43**

**2nd: Sirius with 21**

**3rd: Lupin with 8**

**4th: Cedric with 7**

**5th: a tie between Lily and Tonks, both with 5**

**6th: Dumbledore with 4**

**7th:James and Snape tied with 3 each**

**Last with no votes is: 'other' which makes me happy that I didn't leave anyone out.**

**New poll up, don't forget to stop by and vote. **


	27. Volunteering

Time passed in a blur for Hermione. Mrs. Weasley had the teenagers working to prepare the Burrow for Bill's wedding. And she hadn't seen much of Fred and George as they were working overtime at their shop with the prospect of another school year rapidly approaching. The hours they had spent together had rarely been alone. Every so often, they would manage to sneak away before someone stumbled upon them. So it came as a surprise when the twins showed up prior to dinner one evening to whisk her away.

"Hermione, let's walk, shall we?" Fred slipped an arm around her waist, George threw his casually over her shoulder. He rarely chatted her up anymore, which Fred told her was due to the seriousness of his relationship with Verity. This made her smile more than normal as she recalled Katie's words about Fred no longer flirting. They guided her out to the garden before speaking. "There's an Order meeting tomorrow."

"We've been asked to attend."

"Has anyone mentioned it to you yet?"

"No. What's it about?" She looked between the two as they took it in turns to speak.

"We're not sure."

"But we're guessing it's about Harry."

"Getting him safely here, that is."

"Not sure what they want us for though."

"We can't stay long."

"Just needed to know if you heard anything."

"We really should to be off."

"Gotto meet up with Lee."

"Work out future plans, you know." 

"See you later then." George kissed her cheek softly and disapparated on the spot.

"I have to hurry." Fred kissed her swiftly on the lips. 

"Be careful. Whatever you're doing, just be careful."

"I'll see you tomorrow night." He kissed her cheek and disapparated. 

"Ron!" Hermione ran back to the Burrow to see if the others had heard anything.

----------------------------------------

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny sat around the living room all that night and again the next day. They were tired of guessing what the meeting might be about. They could think of no other solution than Harry's escape from Privet Drive. "Professor Lupin was talking to Bill yesterday. All I could hear was something about Harry." Ginny sighed when she said his name.

"I wonder how long it will be before they get him out of there. It's a bit scary don't you think?" Hermione whispered without knowing why.

"He'll be okay. He has to be." Ron grumbled and ran a hand over his face.

"Who will be alright?" A new voice entered the conversation from the doorway. Hermione spun to see Professor Lupin followed closely by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Harry." Ron supplied without taking his eyes away from his fretting mother. The trio of adults sat near their younger counterparts. Arthur sat on the loveseat with his arm around his wife. Lupin sat in an armchair and leanedheavily with his forearms on his knees. "What's going on?"

"We have a plan to get Harry safely to the Burrow." Lupin began. "There's an Order meeting tonight after dinner and you are all invited to attend."

"We are? Even Ginny?" Ron's voice was one of disbelief and excitement.

"Yes. If we are going to make this work, we'll need all the help we can get. It's important while you are in the meeting to act in a mature fashion. There are several members who do not think you should be allowed because of your ages, especially you, Ginny. However, they have been outvoted. But it would be no favor to us who supported you if you act rash or childishly. Can we count on you?"

"Yes, sir." Hermione spoke for the group. 

"Then prepare yourselves." He stood and left the room.

"You don't have to do anything they ask of you." Mrs. Weasley wrung her hands. "They won't demand anything; they may not even ask."

"It will be more likely they're looking for volunteers. If you have even a moment's hesitation about it, please do not offer yourself." Mr. Weasley looked from Ron to Hermione. "Ginny you will be staying at home with your mother."

"What?" She leapt to her feet. "But Professor Lupin said-"

"Yes. I know what he said. You however are not of age, you will stay here. But, you will be involved. We'll not leave you in the dark on this. You'll have a job and if you intend to do it, then you will behave yourself while in that meeting or you will be excused from it."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine." She threw herself back into her seat near the fire. Following several minutes of silence Mr. and Mrs. Weasley left the room headed for the kitchen. "I hope it's soon."

"Me too." Ron and Hermione nodded their heads.

Dinner seemed to take ages that night. The table chatter was almost nonexistent and the tension was palpable. Mrs. Weasley had just cleared off the last plate when Tonks and Kingsley arrived followed quickly by Moody and the rest. The young Gryffindors sat to the rear accompanied by the twins. For the most part, they were ignored. 

Moody called the meeting to order and started business with reports on whatvarious member's assignments. After everyone had finished their tales, he stood and growled softly to himself. "Last then we have to make final plans for picking up Potter."

Hermione shifted nearer to Fred who squeezed her knee lightly in reassurance. Lupin sighed as he went over the plan and backup plan. "Mundungus has also provided us with an interesting idea that I, for one, think we ought to give a go." He looked at the group of uninducted members crowded together. "Polyjuice potion. He has suggested that we use Polyjuice potion to create the illusion of seven Potter's. That way if we are met by Death Eaters they won't know who the real Harry is. Giving us a greater chance of success." He paused again. "However, it will be extremely risky for anyone involved. For this to work we will need a total of thirteen volunteers. Six Harry's and seven guards. But, as I intend to be there, let us say twelve."

"Eleven," Moody rumbled.

"Ten," said Arthur.

"Nine," offered Bill.

"Make zat eight." Fleur grinned at her fiancé.

"Seven," Hermione instilled as much confidence into her voice as she could muster.

"Five," Fred and George said together. 

"Four," Ron's voice only wavered slightly.

"Three then, in'nit" Hagrid called from the doorway, there wasn't room enough to fit him into the kitchen.

"Two," Tonks placed a hand on Lupin's shoulder.

"One," Kingsley's voice was smooth and confident. 

Everyone sat quietly for a moment before Moody sent a hard look at Mundungus. "Fletcher will be our last Potter." Dung sent a wild look at the ex-Auror. "That's settled. Lupin and I will figure out pairings and transportation."

"Please, sir," Hermione leveled her gaze on Lupin, "when will we retrieve him?"

"It won't be long. We're still working out the exact date." Lupin grinned proudly at the group. The meeting was adjourned and most of the Order left for their own homes. Lupin stayed in the kitchen with the Weasley's until the others had cleared out. "You did well, all of you." 

"Thanks Professor." Ron grinned.

"I must admit, I was worried about the ability of a couple of you to remain serious long enough to get through the meeting. It took longer than I anticipated." He looked directly at the smiling twins.

"Yeah, well Hermione would've had our-"

"That's enough, thank you." Molly talked loudly over Fred, effectively cutting him off. 

--------------------------------

The Burrow was oddly quiet over the next week or so. The night before they were to leave to get Harry, the twins were again at their old home. Fred wandered around his old room, thinking about the day to come. He couldn't recall a time when he'd ever been so worried. His concern wasn't even for himself. It was for his family. Nearly ever person that he truly cared for would be risking their lives the next night. "Nervous?" George asked fromhis mattress.

"Yeah, you?"

"Yup." George rose from his seat and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Nothing's going to happen." Fred knew he was trying to be reassuring but the sweaty grip on his shirt gave him away.

"Right." Fred looked at his twin for a moment before pulling him into a quick hug.

Hermione tiptoed to the twins' room and opened the door in time to see Fred initiate an awkward looking hug with his brother. They released quickly and both reached to rub the back of their necks before noticing her sudden appearance. "Hello."

"Hermione." George's ears were bright red, his voice surprised. He swiftly headed to his bed again and lay down. With a wave of his wand, he produced a see-through sound-proof barrier.

"Hello." Fred grinned at her, his ears equally bright. "I didn't know you were planning to come over here."

"Well, I didn't exactly plan it. I left the bathroom and just sort of veered off this way instead of back to Ginny's." She shrugged her shoulders. "Would you mind if-could I perhaps…if it's alright with you and George of course, maybe I could-"

"Hermione, do you want to sleep here tonight?" He took pity and cut her off.

"Yes, please."

"It's not a problem. Are you ready to lie down?" He gestured to his bed with his head. She saw he was already dressed in a plain white t-shirt and worn pair of cotton pajama pants. 

"Yes. Will it be alright with George? I don't want to make him uncomfortable." She walked beside him to his bed anyway. 

Fred waved his wand at the invisible barrier taking it down. "George, you mind if Hermione sleeps here?"

"Course not." 

"Thanks George, goodnight." Hermione grinned at him somewhat uncomfortably.

"Goodnight."

"Night." Fred flopped under his covers and made room for his girlfriend beside him. He pulled her close and started to chuckle. "You braided your hair."

She turned red. "I didn't want a repeat performance."

"Thought you didn't intend to come here?"

"Oh yeah. Well, I lied didn't I?"

"Love, you don't have to be embarrassedif youwant to sleep with me. You're more then welcome anytime you want." He whispered in her ear, pulling her closer still. She heard him sigh when she wrapped her arm around him, pressing on his back to draw him as close as possible. He pulled his head back to look down at her. She moved so she could see his face clearly in the near darkness. His mouth was open as if he wanted to say something, then he shook his head and gave her gentle closed mouth kiss. "Pleasant dreams." He whispered as he cuddled her to his chest.

"You too," she whispered, sleep already rushing to claim her, lulled by the steady thumps of Fred's heart.

---------------------------------

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!" 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N: du-du-dun…care to risk a guess at whose yelling first thing in the morning? Haha. I bet you're right. **

**Thanks for reading, don't forget to review, please. See I asked nicely. **

**Poll: As of now,Neville has a slight lead over Ron. And for the first time in the history of my polls, Fred is in last place with no votes. Not that I'm surprised.**


	28. Discovered

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!" Hermione blinked her bleary eyes and barely registered Fred beside her rubbing his too. "I said, what are you thinking? Sharing a bed?! She's not even out of school yet!" Mrs. Weasley hovered over them glaring down. Her face was red with anger, her normally kind eyes narrowed to slits.

Hermione yelped and made to leap from the bed, but Fred's arm held her securely in place. He answered in a normal and calm tone, as if he had no idea why his mother would be angry with him. "Mum, nothing happened. We just slept."

"You expect me to believe that, do you?"

"Yeah. Do you honestly think we would do anything with George in the same room?" He sat up in the bed and helped Hermione into a sitting position still against his side.

"Yeah, we have rules against that." George offered as he sat up on the edge of his bed, hair sticking up at odd angles. Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes at George. Molly was still glaring at her and Fred, so she figured she should at least try to ease her suspicions.

"Honestly, Mrs. Weasley. I just didn't want to sleep alone. I was frightened about what's going to happen today." Hermione looked into Molly's pretty blue eyes and filled her face with as much innocence as she could. "Fred was a perfect gentleman, he held me while I slept. That's all, I swear."

Mrs. Weasley looked from Hermione to Fred to George. She seemed to be trying to work out if she was being hoodwinked. "Are you quite certain that nothing inappropriate happened?"

"Completely." All three responded together and the twins looked a bit startled at her before Fred ran a hand over her still braided hair. The action must have startled Mrs. Weasley because she gasped almost inaudibly and put a hand over her lips. "Alright Mum?" Fred asked her concerned.

"Yes. Yes, of course. I'm fine. This doesn't happen again." She looked warningly from Fred to Hermione and back again. Her face seemed to glow and a reluctant smile turned the corners of her lips. "Come down to breakfast, won't you?"

"Yeah, sure." George answered for them. When the door closed behind his mum, he looked at Fred peculiarly. "What was that?"

"I don't know. But she's smiling so it's bound to be good, right?"

"Suppose so." Silence reigned for a few minutes before George broke it. "Can't believe she defused that quick."

"I thought I'd be strangled for sure." Fred shrugged, and then a worried look came over his face. "You don't think she's so upset she's leaving it to Dad to deal with, do you? You know, like Percy."

"Surely not," Hermione squeaked.

"Doubt it. Though you may get another of those interesting chats about what a witch and wizard do when..." George's voice dwindled out. "No. It can't be that."

"What?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"She must have seen-"

"No. No way, she wouldn't have been that calm." Fred waved his hand in the air, not explaining further.

"Fred, I think she knows." George looked significantly at Hermione's back. The girl was trying to follow the conversation but looked utterly puzzled.

"No." Fred shook his head, letting George know he had yet to tell Hermione how deep his feelings went.

"You mean, you haven't?"

"Not yet."

"What are you two talking about?" Her face was an amusing mix between irritation, embarrassment, and confusion. The irritation became more prominent when the twins continued to ignore her. 

"Fred, you have to."

"I will."

"Soon?"

"Yes. Today."

"Boys!" 

"What?" They asked in unison as if they had just realized she was still there.

"Never mind. I'm getting dressed." She huffed and exited the room only to run into Bill outside the bathroom again. "Hi Bill." She wanted to continue down the hall, but he blocked the way.

"Good morning Hermione. Where's Fred?" He stuck a hand up the bottom of his shirt to scratch his muscled abdomen. He seemed oblivious to how it distracted Hermione. She had always harbored a tiny crush on the curse-breaker. One that paled in comparison to her feelings for Fred, but when he popped up out of nowhere like that, she was easily distracted, even with his scars. 

"In his room." Bill grinned at her widely and nodded. "George is in there too." She thought that would dispel Bill's apparent theory on what she had been doing in there, but instead his smile grew and his eyebrows shot up. "He was there the whole time." She wanted to slap the silly grin off his face. "We didn't-" he started to chuckle. "Oh go on, then." She grumbled knowing that she wouldn't win and made to pass him. A squeak from the bathroom caught her attention and she spun to see Fleur snap the door shut, clothed only in a towel. She turned to see a sheepish smile on Bill's now guilty face. "And you had the nerve to question me?" She shook her head and pushed passed him to get to Ginny's room. 

"Wait, Hermione!" He called catching her arm loosely. "You're not going to tell Mum are you?" 

She snorted at him and rolled her eyes. "No Bill, I won't."

"Thanks." She turned to leave again but he stopped her once more. "Hey, about you and Fred."

"Yes?"

"Don't break his heart." He looked at her sternly and she couldn't think of any response to such a request, so she merely nodded. "Good." He stole a quick look down the stairs before darting inside the bathroom. 

Hermione tried to ignore Bill's comment. She wasn't sure why it even bothered her. She knew Fred cared about her. He fancied her but it made her sad to know she didn't really have his heart. She had unwittingly lost hers to him months ago. She had thought about telling him on several occasions but she didn't have the courage to be rejected. She wasn't sure if he would even want to continue a relationship with her if he knew. Parvati and Lavender used to talk about boys that ditched their girlfriends as soon as they mentioned feeling anything too serious. She didn't think Fred was like them but she wasn't confident enough to gamble everything she had with him on it. 

"What's wrong with you?" Ginny asked her when she entered the room they were supposed to share.

"You're mum caught us."

"Oh no!" She was shocked and then started to giggle in a manor that one didn't normally associate with the girl. "What were you doing?" She laughed in earnest.

"Nothing like that! We were still asleep when she started yelling. Then she went kind of funny and told us to come down to breakfast. It was a bit bizarre." She dressed as she talked so they wouldn't be too late for the morning meal. She sat beside Ginny and across from Fred who was sending her strange looks the entire time. "You alright there, Fred?"

"Yeah, I'm great." He smiled around a mouthful of chewed apple.

"Glad you two could join us." Mrs. Weasley chided Bill and Fleur when they sat at the table twenty minutes later.

"Sorry we're late. Had to wait on Fleur to make herself lovely, as if she needs to work at it." Bill grinned at his fiancé but winked at Hermione.

She saw Fred's brow crinkle as he looked at his oldest brother. "I'll tell you later, Fred." She whispered hoping not to draw their mum's attention. Fred's gaze looked uncertain and oddly vulnerable. All throughout breakfast he had been sending her funny looks and Hermione had had enough. "I'm full. Think I'm going to take a walk in the garden." She sat down her napkin and walked out the door. She waited for nearly ten minutes before Fred approached her. "Fred, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. What's up with you and Bill?" 

"Nothing. He saw me leaving your room again." 

Fred grinned at her. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. But then I caught him sneaking in the bathroom with Fleur." His grin grew. "And she was only wearing a towel." She was rewarded with a chuckle. "And then, he goes and reminds me of Ron when he asks me all big-eyed not to tell your mum." 

"Aw, it's a shame I missed that one." He wrapped his arms around her hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry. I know I've been acting strange this morning."

"Why?"

"I-" he sighed heavily and squeezed her closer. "I can't say right now. But I promise I'll tell you soon."

"Is it about whatever you've got planned with Lee?"

"Huh? No. No, that's all going fine. Please, just be patient with me." His voice was softer than she had ever heard it, he almost sounded sad.

"I trust you. Tell me whenever you're ready." She squeezed him as hard as she could and heard a soft 'pop' from his back.

"Wow, Granger," he stretched his back, "didn't know you were that strong."

"Fred! Hermione!" George stuck his head out the back door. "Lupin's here. He wants to go over the plan again."

**A/N: Yeppers. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think.**

**Poll: Closed! Luna's most desired lover is…Neville! with 26**

**2nd: Ron with 21**

**3rd: George with 9**

**4th: Dean and Draco tied with 7 each**

**5th: Seamus with 3**

**6th: ****Fred with not one single vote.**

**New poll up, go vote!**

**Also if you're bored check out my one-shot 'Harry, Harry, and Harry?' which can be found on my profile. It's a silly little fic about what could've happened under the influence of Polyjuice potion if Grand.Vanilla.Skim.Latte had her wicked way with them. But rest assured that it will definitely not happen in this story. **


	29. Three Simple Words

Hermione was nervous. She kept stealing glances at Fred who was returning them looking just as anxious. She understood, nearly his entire family was going to pick up Harry tonight. It had to be terrifying. Yet, he never said a negative word, never cried, never panicked. The entire group that would be leaving for Privet Drive very shortly sat in the living room at the Burrow. Hermione kept herself as close to Ron and Fred as she possibly could, and George too as he was part of a package deal. The four were scrunched on the couch with Ginny sitting on the floor near George's feet. Professor Lupin was once again going over the plan and whenever he would stop Moody would pick it up. "Bathroom." Fred whispered in her ear and gave it a small kiss before removing himself from the packed sofa with some difficulty. George immediately scooted over to his brother's spot at her side while Ginny slid up to take his. They had more room, but only slightly.

Fred and George seemed to have come to some agreement that whenever Fred had to leave her side for any reason, George was to glue himself to it. Hermione gave him a side-long glance and patted his hand where it rested on her knee. He looked as upset as Fred, though neither would admit to it. She waited patiently as Kingsley interjected more advice for the young volunteers. She glanced about the room. Everyone seemed to be in deep thought, not paying any particular attention to the three speakers in the room.

Fleur sat on Bill's lap they were appeared to be experiencing a strange mixture of lust and fear. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had been silent the entire meeting but as she watched, they whispered and left in the direction of the kitchen. Hagrid sat on the floor, apparently content with what would happen in the future. Dung paced nervously by the fire and kept glancing at it as though he desired to floo away. Although, she couldn't see the direction Mad-Eye's magical eyeball was pointed she had the distinct impression it was on Mundungus. Tonks sat confidently beside Lupin studying her wedding ring. Ron fidgeted at Hermione's side never sitting still for more than a few moments. Hermione found herself biting her lip in her anxiety. She couldn't help but anticipate starting on their way, at least that would put the waiting behind them.

Fred looked in the mirror above the bathroom sink, he was especially pale and his natural smile was nowhere to be found. He breathed deeply and prepared himself to go back. He was almost to the kitchen when he heard his mum's lowered voice.

"Oh Arthur, you should have seen them." Molly hugged her husband.

"Now, Molly, don't get your hopes up."

"No point in pretending I haven't. But I'm positive. You didn't see him, the way he touched her and looked at her, oh I'm quite sure. He's in love."

"What about her?"

"She's smitten, of that I've no doubt. But I'd wager a year's worth of gold that she's in love too. The very fact that she went to him for comfort… Well, I recall doing much the same thing when we were young."

"Alright, then. But let's not pressure them dearest. Let them come to it on their own."

"Yes, yes, I know. If I were to encourage him, Fred would only resist."

"Not on this." Fred said softly stepping from his hiding spot.

"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley startled. "I didn't realize you were there." She eyed him suspiciously. "What _are_ you doing there?"

"Eavesdropping," he said lightly. His mother narrowed her eyes at him, but his dad grinned.

"It's not polite to nose into other people's business, Fred."

"No, Mum, it's not." He said it pointedly. Her glare deepened but Arthur interrupted her before she could continue the argument.

"So you do love her?"

"Yes." Molly's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to make an exclamation but her husband shushed her. "She doesn't know yet, Mum. And I'd really appreciate being the one to tell her."

"Oh of course dear." She hugged him tightly.

"Now Molly, we must get back before we're missed." Arthur led his wife away before she could begin the inevitable flow of advice.

"Thanks Dad." Fred leaned against the counter giving them time to reach the living room before he returned. Upon entering, he saw the one person that he could never be jealous of with his hand on his girl's knee. A glance around the silent room showed most of its occupants sharing the same anxious expression. He sighed and made his way over to Hermione. She made as though to scoot over, not that there was room for it, when he plopped lightly onto her lap, draping his legs over Ron.

"Oi! That's my hand you're sitting on." George tugged until his hand came free. Ron laughed shoving Fred's feet to the floor. Hermione chuckled but wrapped her arms around his waist holding him in place. He grinned at her and started to wiggle so he could spin and put his long legs on George's lap instead.

"Ow! Stop wiggling, you're bum is hard as a rock."

"You have all of those years of quidditch to thank."

"Mine's even harder, want to feel?" George turned on his side towards Ginny presenting his arse for Hermione's inspection.

"No!" She turned her head away laughing and nearly conked foreheads with Ron.

"Hey, my girl will not be feeling your arse, so put it away." Fred shoved his twin's shoulder, squishing him into Ginny. Fred grinned and reclined back against Hermione, much the way Fleur was sitting on Bill. The tension in the room had eased up and several others now grinned.

"Ten minutes," Lupin announced to the room at large. They rose and started saying their farewells to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, both of whom would be staying at their home.

"We'll see you soon." His mum hugged him, her shoulders trembled slightly.

"Course you will." Fred kissed her forehead and followed the others out back, ruffling Ginny's hair as he passed her. "Hermione, wait up!" She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "I need to have a word before we get charmed." He led her behind a tree near enough the group no one would need to look for them, but far enough they couldn't be heard. He held her hands and took a deep breath. He looked into her eyes, and froze. Doubts flitted through his mind in that instant before he could speak. He stayed quiet so long, Hermione began to look at him strangely.

"Fred?" She glanced over where the group was preparing to leave.

"I know. Alright, here goes. Hermione, I-I…please be safe. Please." He begged her, not saying what he truly wanted to tell her.

"I'll be fine, Fred, we all will." She hugged him fiercely.

He nodded his head and squeezed her firmly. When he spoke his voice sounded broken. "I love you. Don't get hurt." He didn't look down at her to see her reaction; he simply released her and headed over to the others, feeling shaken. He hadn't given her a chance to respond and he thought maybe it was for the best. She couldn't reject him if she wasn't given the opportunity. A small hand snagged his from where it swung at his side. He was once again crushed to Hermione's small form.

"I love you, too, Fred. Please be careful." She released him after a minute and walked to stand beside George and Ron.

Feeling like he'd just won the Quidditch World Cup he walked over to stand between George and Hermione waiting for the Disillusionment Charm to be cast on him. He reached out and gripped her hand after Lupin rapped him over the head with his wand. He waited until she too took on the chameleon-like characteristic and then slipped his arm around her waist. He felt her snuggle closer to him and smirked. Slowly so as not to draw her attention, he let his hand slide lower down her back until it rested lightly on her arse.

"Fred," she whispered a warning just before he pinched her bum. She yelped and slapped his chest, chuckling softly.

"Enough, it's time to go." Lupin's voice sounded from somewhere to their right.

Hermione's nerves were relieved a bit at reaching Harry's Muggle house. She felt the cool shiver as the charm was released and she threw her arms around her friend and held him tight. She didn't hold long though, partially because of everyone's presence and partly because of Fred's previous jealousy. She moved into the house with the rest of them, making sure to stay near both Fred and Harry. She waited patiently while Harry argued against the use of Polyjuice potion. Finally when he angrily dropped his hairs in the potion, she breathed easier.

Fred choked on air when Hermione mentioned how tasty Harry looked. At least she had the decency to blush after a comment like that. He shook his head at his girlfriend. For being brilliant she had a tendency to let rubbish fall out of her mouth. After they all drank the potion and changed their clothes, Fred felt his stomach clench uncomfortably.

It was time.

­­­--

**A/N: Another one down. How was it? Were their I love you's alright? I didn't want to make a big production of them. **

**Poll: the obvious winner, Hermione with 48 votes **

**2nd: Angelina and Katie tied with 2**

**3rd: Verity got 1**

**4th: Alicia and Tonks didn't get any. boohoo**

**  
New poll up, it's a fun one that I can't wait to see the results from.**


	30. Escape

Fred mounted the broom behind his dad. "Hold on tight now son." Mr. Weasley said over his shoulder. "Just to be clear, you are Fred, correct?"

"Yeah, Dad, it's me." Fred shook his head and held his father's waist. He stole a glance at Hermione where she sat on the thestral behind Kingsley and over at George sharing a broom with Lupin. As he watched George nodded at him and adjusted the glasses on his nose. He looked back to Hermione; she offered him a small feminine smile. He nearly laughed at seeing that smile on Harry's face. He listened as Mad-Eye counted off and felt his dad kick off the ground. They soared straight up and into a large circle of Death Eaters. "Bloody hell."

Arthur flew them expertly, silently obeying any nudges or shoves his son gave him to avoid the spells that were being cast at them. Fred desperately tried to catch sight of Hermione or George but as they were headed in opposite directions he couldn't see any sign of them. He desperately hoped that they would make it alright. He shoved his dad to the left to dodge red sparks that flew just over his shoulder. He silently cast stunners and any jinx or hex that came across his mind. Twice his pursuers backed off to catch a fallen comrade, but it never lasted long. "Almost there!" Arthur yelled back to his son over the racing wind. It seemed they flew for hours before they finally reached their goal. The house loomed into view just as a hooded Death Eater flew below them causing Mr. Weasley to pull up sharply and to the right. Fred sent a stunner at the man chasing them but missed, the other two seemed to have abandoned the chase.

They flew about three miles out of the way before Fred managed to stun the man knocking him off of his broom. "Go, Dad, go, he's down." Fred urged his father on keeping a sharp eye out for any others that might pick up on their tail again.

"I'm going straight home; it'll be safer than turning around." Fred nodded his agreement though he knew his father couldn't see him.

Hermione clung to Kingsley's robes; she fought the urge to search the skies for any sign of her friends. They were isolated with five Death Eaters on their tail. The immense speed of the thestral was probably the only thing that was keeping them alive. She removed one hand to fire a jinx at the head of one of their followers. She hit him dead center and he toppled backwards off his broom. Just as she was twisting to send another stunner at the men, the most terrifying sight imaginable filled her vision. "It's _him_!" She screamed into Kingsley ear throwing up a shield just in the knick of time to block a jet of blue light streaming towards them. Voldemort flew unsupported getting closer by the moment. Hermione knew she was about to die so she did the only thing she could think of. She threw every spell in her arsenal at him and noticed Kingsley doing the same, all of which were waved off with a flick of his wrist. "Oh god." She squeezed her eyes closed as he raised his wand. An image of her friends happily playing quidditch in the Burrow garden flitted through her mind's eye, and she opened her eyes to stare down death. But he was gone.

Kingsley let out a shocked yet exhilarated cry and started cursing the Death Eaters still trailing them with renewed vigor. He hit one in the chest with a jet of purple light, and the man clutched his chest as he fell out of sight. His cohorts didn't bother to retrieve him as they kept up the chase. Hermione hit another with a stunner just before they dropped into the protective magical barrier. "Are you alright?" Kingsley shook her by the shoulders.

"Yes. Yes, I think so." She nodded at him and started to head for the house, but he didn't follow. Instead he raised his wand at her. "What are you doing?"

"In her second year, what happened when Hermione Granger took Polyjuice potion?"

"I turned into a cat hybrid. The hair I took belonged to Millicent Bulstrode's cat. Why are you asking me the security question?" He lowered his wand but did not answer. "We were betrayed." She couldn't believe it even as she said it. He nodded and strode towards the small house, she followed silently. Fear of what she would find when they got back to the Burrow filled her heart. She held onto the old coat hanger as the portkey began to glow blue. She felt the familiar yank as she was teleported to the Weasley's home. The first person she saw was Harry and she launched herself into his arms. "Where's Fred?"

"Not back yet." He held her tightly while Shacklebolt interrogated Professor Lupin. She felt as though she might be sick, he _should _have beaten her back. After a few minutes he released her to assist Hagrid where he was stuck in the doorway. She waited outside while he and Ginny went back inside to check on George. She wanted to see him but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sky, hoping against hope that Fred would suddenly appear before her.

She didn't know how long she stood there when the broom descended from the night sky. "Fred!" She yelled as her boyfriend leapt off the broom he shared with his father and pulled her into a rough hug.

"Thank god you're alright." He buried his face in her hair. "Where's George?" He looked to Lupin for the answer but Hermione was the one to give it to him.

"He's inside, Fred. He's hurt." She watched the disbelief flicker in his eyes.

"No." He shook his head as his eyes seemed to mist over but he blinked and it was gone. He left her to run into the house after his dad who was shrugging off Kingsley's question. She followed at a slower pace. He ran to his brother's side and she saw the fear in his face as he stared down at his now groaning twin. When George cracked his first joke, which Fred scolded for a lack of creativity, Hermione went back outside to wait on Ron.

She barely registered Lupin and Hagrid at her shoulders. And she had no idea when Harry and Ginny had joined them. After waiting an indefinable amount of time, Ron and Tonks finally arrived on their broom. Ron looked shaken when she hugged him tightly, thankful her friend had made it home safely. When Mr. and Mrs. Weasley made their way out to greet Ron and hug Tonks and Lupin, Hermione found her way inside. She wanted to see George and she needed to feel Fred's arms around her again.

She walked quietly through the silent house to the drawing room where she knew George rested. As she got closer she heard the unmistakable sounds of someone crying. She knew she should stop and turn around but when she heard his voice her feet refused to cooperate.

"I'm fine Freddie, honest."

"Damnit George." Fred's voice was broken and he sounded clogged up. She hazard a peek around the corner, neither boy was looking in her direction as they held each other fiercely. Fred's eyes were squeezed shut, tears spilling from them to rush down his cheeks. She couldn't see George's face but she could imagine what he must look like.

In all the six years she had known Fred she had only seen him cry once, and that was after Sirius's death. Even then only a few tears escaped before they were quelled. She had seen him take bludger hits that knocked him off his broom, broke his arm and left him unconscious and he hadn't once shed a tear. He had stood stoic throughout Dumbledore's funeral, one of the few dry eyes to be found that day. She felt like an intruder watching him weep over his brother's lost ear.

"Fred, you have to calm down. Mum'll be back soon, so will the others. Think about Hermione. Do you want her to see you like this?" George's voice was soothing as though he were talking to a small child.

"Hermione," Fred whispered, "no." She heard him take in a great shuddering breath and walked as silently as possible towards the back door and joined in the crowd as they headed in a few minutes later with the recently arrived Bill and Fleur. By the time they reached the room with the twins, they were laughing together. A closer inspection of Fred showed his eyes still red-rimmed but he wasted no time in wrapping his arm around her and holding her closely to his side. "Hello love." He kissed her neck lightly before they all sadly toasted to the memory of Mad-Eye.

­­--

**A/N: Let me know please. So far Fred is winning the poll with George not too far behind. Poor Dumbledore doesn't have any votes.**


	31. Alone Time

Hermione didn't see as much of Fred as she would have liked over the next few days. He had apparently spell-o-taped himself to George. They were now attempting to grow their hair out to cover the gaping hole in the side of George's head. Hermione wondered if she was the only one who had to make an effort to not let her gaze be drawn to it when in his company. She had unknowingly been staring at it for a few minutes before George chuckled at her and asked if she wanted to touch it. She was embarrassed at being caught and apologized profusely. However, he said he wouldn't 'ear of it.

The anniversary of Harry's birth finally arrived. She was pleased that the twins would to be at the Burrow the entire day. They had closed the shop and gave Verity the day off so George could bring her to the party. The day seemed to be going well and Hermione found herself pleasantly squished between Fred and Harry at the lunch table. "Oak tree," Fred breathed in her ear.

"How can you possibly be cold?" Harry questioned when he felt Hermione shiver beside him. Fred snorted on her other side but her best mate still seemed oblivious.

"I'm full." Fred rubbed his somehow-still-flat belly and rose from the table. He gave Hermione a kiss on the temple and made his way out the back door.

She cleared her throat, "Me too. Lunch was lovely. Thank you Mrs. Weasley." She considered going out the front door but decided against it. Everyone knew where she was going anyway. She found him by the large oak tree in the garden. He was lying on his back with his head pillowed on his hands, eyes shut. She approached him slowly; it was the first time they had been alone since she witnessed him crying. She wasn't sure if she should tell him that she saw them but she knew she couldn't deny it if asked. "Fred?" She sat beside him on the grass.

"Come here, love." He pulled her gently by the wrist until she was lying with her head resting on his chest, her body at a 90 degree angle from his. "I've missed you."

She sighed contentedly. "I've missed you too." She tucked a finger into the belt loop of his Muggle jeans. "How have things been with George?"

"He's doing fine. I'm the one that's a mess. I think I'm actually getting on his nerves." He danced a hand through her curls. "This morning he told me that if I didn't leave him alone with Verity he would hex my ear off for me, so we could be identical again."

She chuckled and closed her eyes at the feel of his fingers massaging her scalp. "How's he going to manage that one? Is Verity staying here at the Burrow, too?"

"No. He's sneaking back to the flat tonight. Which means, I'll have my room all to myself. Might get lonely," he hinted.

"I don't think that'll be a problem."

"Really?" He grinned at her.

"Yeah. I'm sure one of the boys would love to bunk up with you, to make more room of course."

"Not what I had in mind."

"What if your mum catches us again? I still don't know how we managed to get away with it last time. She's on the edge as it is; do you really want to test her?"

"Yeah, I do." She scoffed at him. "Alright, fine. Then at least drop by for a little snogging before you go to sleep all alone in your cold little cot."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes as if she were reluctant. They laid there quietly enjoying each other's presence for several minutes before Hermione found the courage to tell him about her plans with the boys. "Fred?"

"Hmmm?"

"We're leaving the morning after the wedding."

"What?" He darted into a half-sitting position causing her to roll face-first into his thigh. "Sorry." He helped her sit up. She tried to control the blush at having her face so near what she desperately wanted to see but was too afraid to ask for.

"It's okay." She took a deep breath. "The morning after the wedding, we're leaving; Harry, Ron, and I, that is."

"Where are you going?"

"I really can't say. Not only because I promised not to but also because I really don't know any specifics."

"I knew you were all planning to go. But I didn't realize it would be so soon."

"I know, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you before, but we haven't exactly had much time together lately. Also, we haven't told your mum yet."

"She knows you're not returning to Hogwarts."

"Yes, I know. But she doesn't know when we're leaving. In fact, she has been quite determined to keep us apart so we can't make any plans."

"Sounds like Mum." He touched her cheek softly. "I don't want you to go."

"Fred-"

"I know that doesn't change anything. And I wouldn't try to convince you otherwise, I just want you to know that I don't like you leaving to do this mysterious 'job' that you're planning."

"I wish I could just stay here with you." She felt a tear roll down her cheek. "But it has to be done."

"Promise me. When this is all over, we're going to find each other and be together."

"I promise." She kissed him despite the tears that coursed down her face. It was the most tender kiss she had ever experienced. There was no lust, no tongue, just two lovers afraid of what would come in the future.

"Well that was certainly an interesting birthday." Fred leaned against the wall in his room watching George fiddle with his shirt.

"What did you expect at the Chosen One's party? Something as normal as cake, ice cream, and hats?" George scoffed at him, digging through his night pack.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, Verity wants me to wear this tight blue shirt. She likes the way it clings, I think. I can't find the bloody thing."

"Wait," he dug through his backpack to find a rumpled blue t-shirt, "this one?"

"That's it!" George snatched it away and started casting charms to make it wrinkle-free.

"That's mine you know. I thought I'd lost it ages ago."

"Nah, I nicked it." He slipped it over his head. "Alright, brother, I'm late so I best get going."

"Sure." Fred shrugged off the ache in his stomach.

"Fred," George clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm going to be fine. I'm going straight home and she's meeting me there. I'm not leaving except to come back here before the sun rises."

"I know." He gave George a quick squeeze on the shoulder. "Get out of here before I decide to tag along."

"You can't follow me tonight. What would Granger think if she snuck in here to find it empty?" He grinned. "Hope you have an entertaining night. I know I will." And with a small 'pop' he disappeared.

Fred tried not to think of the possibilities of having Hermione once again in his bed and alone in his room. That would only serve work him up. He waited for nearly an hour before she finally showed. "Hey, what took you so long?"

She kissed him lightly before answering. "Your mum. She wanted a private word with Ginny so I had to wait in the hallway until they were done. Then I gave her extra time in case she was talking to everyone individually, not just Ginny."

"That's strange. I wonder what she wanted."

"Don't know, Ginny wouldn't tell me. She did look upset though."

"I'll ask her tomorrow." He grabbed her hand and led her to the bed. "But for now…" He spun her and dropped them both on the bed. He landed lightly on top of her but managed to crack his elbow on the headboard. "Ouch!"

"Smooth," she kissed his elbow softly, "Better?"

He swallowed thickly and nodded before capturing her lips with his. He kissed her softly at first, running his hands through her mass of hair. "Glad you left it down." He smoothed her curls back away from her face, and kissed around the edges of it. "I really do love you." He placed soft open mouthed kisses down the column of her neck, across her collar bone and back up the opposite side of her throat. She moaned softly when he nibbled at her ear.

"God you're amazing," she gasped when he slid his hand under her shirt. He rested a calloused palm lightly on her breast; squeezing gently. She slid her hand deep into his hair and tugged it slightly to the left so that she could kiss a path down his neck. His hips started to rock against her and she flicked her tongue over his ear. "I love you, Fred."

He answered her with a moan before devouring her lips once again. His hips never rested as he moved against her, the thin cotton of their pants acting as a soft barrier. He lowered his mouth over her covered breast and nuzzled it before sucking it into his mouth. Hermione's moans were getting louder and she was squirming constantly beneath him. She started wiggling her hips but soon she raised them to meet his. He released her breast and tucked his hand under her arse. He was surprised when he came in contact with flesh rather then knickers. Fred let out a deep groan and lost all sense of himself when he found his release, barely hearing Hermione's sharp gasp at nearly the same moment.

His arms ceased to support him and he collapsed on top of her, unmoving. He could feel her rapid breathing and a slick sheen of sweat glistened on her hot skin. He kissed her neck at her pounding pulse point and slowly rolled off of her. "I think I'm dead." His voice was rougher than normal, still out of breath.

"Me too." She rolled on her side to face him. "That was bloody fantastic." She ran a hand up his naked torso.

He grinned at her. "Yeah, it was." He pulled at her waist until she was lying on top of him. "Next time, we'll have to try it with you up there."

"What?" Her face took on a look of shocked uncertainty. "I don't know."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't exactly know what I'm doing, do I?"

"Fooled me." He kissed her deeply, knowing it couldn't last but wishing it would.

"We can talk about it later. I've got to get back." She chuckled as she tried to get up and nearly fell off the bed. "Need a shower first," she mumbled and wiped at the sweat on her forehead. "Goodnight," she called from the door before opening it and making her exit.

Fred watched her go. The thought of her in the shower had things coming rapidly back to attention. He tried to ignore it until he too could take a shower, maybe she'd leave her soap in there and he could use it to help his imagination.


	32. Bill's Wedding

Hermione performed a last minute check that she had all the necessities packed. She knew Harry would want to leave first thing in the morning and she wanted to be prepared. Also, she had gotten herself into the habit of carrying her beaded bag with her wherever she went just in case. The night before was probably the most spectacular time of her life. Being with Fred that time had felt even better than the first time and she longed for more.

A large part of her wanted to be with him fully, but there was that small remaining part that was afraid what would happen if she did sleep with him. Would it be expected from then on out? What if she didn't like it? She had read plenty of books on the subject and knew that the first time usually hurt. But, she also knew Fred loved her and would do his best to be gentle. Even scarier for her was what if he didn't like it? He regretted shagging Alicia, what if he regretted it with her as well? _But he didn't love Alicia like he does me._ Plus, he obviously enjoyed their clothed experiences well enough.

Hermione heaved a loud breath drawing Ginny's attention. "I know I can't believe it either." At Hermione's questioning look, she smiled. "Bill's finally getting married. He's the first one and with the war coming up I'll bet Charlie won't be far behind him. Maybe even George. He really seems to like that Verity girl."

"Yes, he does. And she acts completely smitten by him too."

"I'm going to miss you at school this year." Ginny suddenly looped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'll miss you too Ginny." Hermione pulled her into a brief hug before Mrs. Weasley came in to rush them.

"Come on girls, hurry now." Molly ushered them through the door and down to the kitchen where the rest of the wedding party was waiting. "You can go on out, Hermione. Ginny over here please."

Hermione let herself out the door and wandered over to where the boys were congregated. She smiled as Fred dipped into a slight bow and offered his arm. "Would the lovely lady allow me to seat her?"

"Certainly," she held onto his upper arm and rolled her eyes when he flexed his bicep repeatedly. "You better not do that for all the girls." She teased.

"It's all for you, love." He flexed again, holding it for a second. She smiled when the other boys snorted. Her smile nearly disappeared when the last guest arrived, it was Viktor Krum. She felt herself flush when he complimented her and she tried not to let Fred see how flustered she was. She didn't hold any old feelings for Viktor but it was still awkward to run into him at a wedding. "Krum." Fred's face had darkened, his smile entirely vanished. She was pleased that Harry was quick to get the Quidditch star to his seat. She felt Fred watching her, so she gave him her best smile and a kiss on the cheek. She watched the irritation wash away and his smile returned full force. "Sorry." He whispered.

Mrs. Weasley popped her head out the door and ordered them to their seats. Fred didn't release her arm until they had reached their row and sat comfortably. She looked around at the assembled guests. She caught the eyes of several of Fleur's gorgeous cousins watching them. She smiled feeling uncertain of why they were looking at her so peculiarly. She saw Luna sitting with her father and waved at the vibrant girl, who returned it rather vaguely. After a few short moments, Bill and Charlie stood at the front of the marquee. Hermione grinned when Fred and George teased them but got annoyed when the cousins started giggling and shooting them glances. _Wonderful._

The ceremony was short and very sweet and Hermione found herself hoping she would live long enough to experience one for herself. She looked over at her boyfriend and grinned when he caught her eye, he squeezed her hand tightly. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder with a sigh of contentment. He moved his arm to wrap around her shoulders and pulled her close. He caught his dad's eye from the next row up. Arthur winked at him and kissed the tearful Molly on the head.

They stood when asked and Fred grinned mischievously at her. "I'll be back. I need a drink." He kissed her forehead and made off with George towards the refreshment table, ignoring the waiters they passed along the way.

"I don't even want to know." Hermione mumbled to herself.

Fred bypassed the drink table and headed instead for the apparation point where he and George could make their way to Bill's new cottage. They had helped him set it up over the past couple weeks, getting things settled so he and Fleur would be comfortable on their wedding night. They moved throughout the house setting several pranks up that were sure to startle the happy couple. "Bill's going to kill us tomorrow." Fred laughed as they made their way back to the Burrow.

"Yeah." George agreed. They made their way lazily back to the party and grabbed a drink apiece and one for each of their dates. He gestured to Bill where he happily danced with his new wife. "One day that'll be us."

Fred raised eyebrows at his twin. "Yeah, I suppose it will." They searched the crowd until they found their girls. George made his way to Verity where she sat near the Lupin's. Fred found Hermione dancing with Ron. He watched her for a minute, she was laughing with his little brother about some thing or another. He was still amazed that she was with him; she was beautiful and intelligent and had grabbed the attention of quite a few blokes at the reception. He was suddenly grateful that Ron had managed to keep her with him. He let his gaze wander while he waited for the song to end. Krum sat at a table with Harry, his eyes never leaving Hermione. He ground his teeth in irritation. He had liked Krum; they had gotten on well enough the few times they had been near each other. And Fred generally liked competition, but not where it concerned his girl. He watched as Krum rose, the song was almost over and he was heading for Hermione.

Fred started across the floor intent on overhearing Hermione turn him down, when he was stopped by a couple girls in front of him. They were two of Fleur's veela cousins. One flipped her silverish hair over her shoulder and they both giggled. They chatted lightly in French and Fred had absolutely no clue what they were saying. "Sorry, girls. I don't really know what you're saying but I have someone I need to talk to. Excuse me." He brushed past them not registering their angry glares.

Hermione let go of Ron's shoulders when she saw Fred approaching. "Thanks Ron." He saw his brother coming and left in the direction of Luna. Hermione watched when the two beautiful girls walked in front of Fred to stop him. He looked down at them confused then shook his head. She couldn't hear what he said to them but it was obvious by the dirty looks he received that it wasn't what they wanted to hear. He ignored them and came straight for her, to which she couldn't help but smile a bit smugly. The dirty looks were now directed at her. He had almost reached her when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see Viktor smiling at her.

"I haff missed you." He rested his large hand on her shoulder. It felt uncomfortably heavy compared to Fred's soft touches.

"Oh." She awkwardly side-stepped away from his hand. "How have you been?"

"Good." He moved a step closer to her again. "And you haff been vell?"

"Yes. I've been quite good. Have you met," she spun and caught Fred's hand and drug him closer, "my boyfriend? This is Fred. Weasley." She held tight to his hand. She was surprised he had been behind her listening but not interfering.

"I belief ve haff met. You vere the funny tvins who sent the joke sweets to our ship."

Fred chortled, "Yeah that was us." To her great surprise Viktor also chuckled and offered his hand to her boyfriend, who shook it pleasantly.

"You vill take good care of this one, yes?" He gestured to a shocked Hermione.

"The best." Fred wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"It vas good to see you again." Viktor nodded to her and walked off towards a group of giggling veela.

"Well that was unexpected." Fred grinned and turned her to face him and started to sway with the music. They danced enthusiastically for the next hour. "I'll get us some drinks." He kissed her soundly and made his way over to a waiter carrying some drinks. He was about to make his way over to her and Harry when the silver lynx made its announcement. "Hermione!" He called looking for her through the crowds. He pulled his wand and searched for her and George. "George!" He caught sight of his twin with Verity tucked behind him.

"Protego!" George shouted throwing up a protective shield. He sprinted towards his brother. Then he heard a desperate sounding voice.

"Ron!" Hermione drug Harry behind her, wand in hand searching for his little brother. Fred stopped, torn between running to his girlfriend or his brother. He froze as he saw Ron surge through the crowd and grab her arm. Her eyes met his for a fraction of a second before she turned on the spot and apparated the three of them to safety.

"Fred! Fred! Let's go!" George grabbed his arm and apparated them near Verity's house. Fred still stared in the direction he had last seen Hermione. "Come on, Fred. She's safe; you saw her get out of there." His twin's voice was soft in his ear and he was barely aware that he had pulled him into a hug. The sound of Verity crying snapped him out of his fog.

"They're gone, George."

"I know. Now we have to make sure our family got out of there safely. I saw Fleur take Ginny and Gabrielle. But Mum, Dad, and Bill I know stayed behind to give everyone else time to escape."

"Charlie would've stayed too." They began their walk to Verity's home. And Fred tried to control the tremors that threatened to take hold of his body.

**A/N: Wow, sorry it took so long. It just didn't want to be written. So…**

**Alright the winner of the poll was: Prisoner of Azkiban with 27**

**The others in order: Deathly Hallows 14, Goblet of Fire 11, Half Blood Prince 9, Order of the Phoenix 8, Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone 4, and Chamber of Secrets 1.**

**New poll up, go vote.**


	33. Living with Boys

**This is dedicated to WeasleyforMe without which I may never have started this stubborn chapter.**

Hermione woke with a stiff neck and sore back. She looked around the tent to see Harry sleeping fitfully; Ron was still on watch outside the flaps. Another lonely frustrating day. They had retrieved the locket from the Ministry of Magic almost two weeks ago. She hadn't imagined it would be so hard to hide with the boys. They were mates after all, didn't get much closer than the three of them. Lingering thoughts of the ones they left behind, though cast dark shadows over each of their heads. Today was her turn to wear the dreaded locket. Every time it rested around her neck, she would think terrible things; was Fred being faithful? Would he get tired of waiting for her? Would he trust her alone with both Ron and Harry? Would they make it through the war to be together again?

She sighed as she stood to stretch her aching body. She scooped up a small handful of berries she had found the previous night and popped them into her mouth. As she chewed, she remembered that last evening with Fred. She loved the feel of his arms around her as he twirled her to the music. Oh, how she longed to feel those arms again, to lay her cheek against his chest, to kiss those sweet lips. "Oh Fred," she whispered to herself. She absently twirled her own locket in her fingers, remembering all the times they had sat beneath the oak tree depicted on the front. She bit her lip and wondered what could have been. The night of the wedding she had intended to give herself fully to him. In fact, she had planned to tell him after he returned from getting their drinks. But that bloody patronus had to appear, and then the Death Eaters ran them all away before she was given the chance. Now, if she regretted anything, it was not getting to experience to full range of Fred's love. She was afraid that she would never get the opportunity to.

"Hermione," Harry called softly from where he lay, "what are you doing?"

"Huh?" Lost in her daydream of Fred, she hadn't been aware of her hand wandering her body. Her face burned red that Harry caught her caressing her breast. "I-uh…"

"Never mind," he quickly muttered hopping out of the bed. "Didn't see anything. Didn't ask anything." She could see him trying to hide his amusement.

"Right, well," she shrugged, "I didn't see or hear anything last night either." If she had to be uncomfortable then so did he.

"Oh! You, er…you heard that, did you?" His face was bright red as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Didn't see anything, didn't hear anything," she smirked at him. Of course she had heard him grunting in his bed in the early hours of the night. At first she hadn't been sure what he was doing, if he was having a nightmare. But then she distinctly heard him groan Ginny's name followed by a whispered cleaning charm. Normally, she wouldn't have mentioned it, to save him the embarrassment, but since he found her own self-exploration so amusing it was only fair that he knew she had witnessed his as well.

"Well let's just not see or hear anything without telling anyone else about it," Harry looked pointedly at the open flap.

"You guys realize I can hear you, right?" Ron poked his grinning face through the flaps to look at them.

"Yeah well, I've heard you plenty of times before," Harry waved it off.

Hermione however went even redder and mumbled about using the loo before she made her way out of the tent. As she trudged her way through some foliage she could hear them roaring in laughter. "Boys," she grumbled relieving her full bladder. She used a bit of nearby leaves as toilet paper and let a disgruntled cry at the blood she saw on them. "Wonderful, just bloody perfect timing."

"Hermione!" Two voices accompanied the charging of feet in her direction.

"NO!" She screamed trying to pull up her pants before they got too close. "Stop! I'm fine, guys. Please, please, go back, please."

"Hermione, we're not going back until we see for ourselves that you're safe," Harry's voice called from just off to her left.

"Harry, please," she began, but it was too late. She saw a whole new shade of red erupt on his handsome face. He stared open mouthed at her, where she sat, pants tangled around her ankles. "You can stop staring anytime, Harry." She leaned over her thighs in a desperate attempt at modesty just as Ron reached them.

"What's wrong? Is she alright?" He looked to Harry with concern on his face. A frown lined his features as he followed his friends petrified gaze. "Blimey!" he jumped and spun around, grabbing Harry in the process. "Fred'll kill me if he finds out I saw that."

"Fred!" The mention of Hermione's boyfriend and Ron's older brother seemed to snap Harry out of his trance.

"Sorry, Hermione," they sounded sincere.

"Can this day _get _any better?" she put her face in her hands. Living alone with two teenage boys was much worse than she ever anticipated.

* * *

Fred paced the small room waiting for his chance to talk on _Potterwatch_. Together he, George, and Lee Jordan created the program to rebel against Voldemort. People needed hope and so the trio gave them information on loved ones and progress of the Order and many other things in order to lighten their burdens if only for a short while.

"Alright faithful listeners. Tonight we once again have Rapier and Raptor with us, and I'm your host River." Lee told about the deaths of several wizards and witches and a small group of Muggles. Fred listened in silence, thankful that it wasn't anyone he knew this time. A few weeks ago, a Ravenclaw from his year had been killed along with his entire family.

When Lee left it to them to talk, Fred let George take control. Ever since Hermione left he just hadn't felt his usual upbeat self. He still smiled and joked with everyone. But he didn't have the warmth that she gave me. No matter how happy he could be at any given time, there was always a cold spot in him, roughly the size and shape of his petite girlfriend. He missed her so deeply that even George couldn't fill the void. And that for him was beyond belief. There was never a time before when his twin couldn't fully complete him. It made him sad to realize but he also saw that Verity was close to meaning the same for George. In fact the twins had taken to spending a lot of time at her house. At first her father wasn't overly pleased that there were two of them. But after one night of making them all laugh breathlessly, he gave them an open invitation. The twins usually left together, but not always.

"Anything you want to add, Rapier?" George elbowed him.

"Just that if that special someone is listening tonight, I want her to know that I love her and I hope she's safe." He hated the way his voice cracked when he said it.

"Well said brother," George put a hand on his shoulder. Together the two left the area to make room for Kingsley and Lupin. "She'll be alright," he whispered.

"She has to be," he blinked ferociously against the moisture gathering in his eyes.

"Harry'll look out for her, Ron too."

"Yeah." Somehow the thought of her being alone with the two of them for months on end didn't quite ease his mind. He knew she loved him; he had to hold onto that. She wouldn't hurt him like that, she wouldn't cheat on him; she was too good, too noble for it. "Let's get out of here. Mum wants us over for dinner tonight."

George nodded his head and they waved at their friend and made their way out. At a safe distance they apparated to the ward boundaries at the Burrow. "Mum!" They entered the unnatural silence that had filled their childhood home since the trio had left on their 'quest' and Ginny returned to school.

"In here, dears," she called from the kitchen. They sat at the large empty table and waited for their mother to join them. She laid the last plate of salad on the table, and nearly collapsed into the chair across from them. "How are you boys? I heard _Potterwatch_ tonight, you were wonderful."

"We're alright. Where's Dad?" George questioned, noting the empty seat.

"He had to work late." Mrs. Weasley glanced nervously at the clock lying on the table beside her. The boys loaded their plates and followed their mum's lead in beginning their meal. "They're doing alright, aren't they?" There was no need to say their names, it was obvious to everyone present she meant the trio; her son and two surrogate children.

"Course they are," once again George spoke. Fred refused to look up at either of them.

"Fred?"

"Hmmm?" his voice was scratchy from disuse.

His mum opened her mouth to speak but promptly shut it. She once again checked her clock, nothing had changed. She continued to eat instead of talk, which was fine by Fred. Not long after they had finished their meal, Mr. Weasley finally arrived home.

"Well, we'd best get going," Fred gave his parents a hug in parting and walked to the fireplace.

"I love you both," Molly forced a container of leftovers into each of their hands and kissed them before they could leave, "Fred?"

"Yeah, Mum?"

"My boys will take good care of her, don't you worry." She gave him another kiss and pat on his cheek.

"I know." Fred nodded his head and left through floo to his flat. George was already there with a sober look on his face. "I'm going to bed." He put the food on the counter and made his way to the bedroom, to collapse on his bed in yet another sleepless night. When he did eventually drift off, his slumber was filled with nightmares all involving Hermione's death.

--

**A/N: Phew! Alright sorry it took so long I had a major block starting this one. So we all owe our thanks to WeasleyforMe. Thank her by reading and reviewing some of her fantastic stories. **

**Now I'll thank you for reading this. Please review!**

**Poll results: 1st place for preference of smut was, 'it depends' with 33**

**2nd: graphic smut got 20**

**3rd: non-graphic was 7**

**4th: hinted sex got 5**

**new poll up, go check it out. it's related to this story.**


	34. Malfoy Manor

Hermione was exhausted. It had been hard to accept Ron back when he suddenly showed up to save the day. It stung that he had left them like he did. It meant a lot though that he had saved Harry, the sword of Gryffindor and destroyed that damned Horcrux locket. She held a grudge for as long as she could, but eventually she forgave him. Although, she did still treat him a bit harsher than normal; just as a reminder that although she forgave him it was not forgotten.

They were currently removing all trace of their camp in preparation of their trip to see Xenophilius Lovegood. Hermione was desperate for answers. What had Dumbledore expected me to discover? Every day that passed, it seemed they were getting closer and closer to death. The destruction of the locket had given them renewed hope but it was now dwindling again. They were starting to get on each other's nerves more and more. She looked up from where she was fixing the flattened grass to hide the evidence of their tent. "Harry? Where's Ron?"

"Dunno." Harry didn't even look up from his task.

"Ron!" Hermione hollered and received no answer. "Ron!" Still she listened to no response. "I'm going to have a look in the woods." Harry grunted that he heard her. She held her wand tightly at her side, prepared to use it if need be. She had walked for several minutes before calling out somewhat timidly for him again. Leaves crunched and a bush rattled off to her left. Silently she approached it, wand held in out front of her. There sat Ron, completely uninjured and apparently doing nothing. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh! I was, er, that is, I was trying to-" he stammered.

"You haven't done anything, have you?" she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"No. I mean yes! I was…looking...for berries. Couldn't find any. Guess I'll head back now." Ron jumped to his feet and sprinted off in the direction of the camp.

"Lazy sod." They finished clearing their area and held each other's hands to make the apparation to the Lovegood's.

They arrived at their new camp destination and set up the usual wards and protective spells along with the tent. Hermione felt terrible for leaving Mr. Lovegood like that but it had to be done. She just hoped Luna would be alright. They relaxed about the camp a couple of days later in the normal fashion. While Harry poured over his new found obsession, Hermione was plagued with doubts. Ron fiddled with the radio as it had become his newest fixation. He was determined to find Potterwatch, desperate to hear the familiar voices of friends and possibly family. She heard him sigh and step outside.

Feeling bad for her friend, she went out to console him and help him think of new words to try. When she stepped out she didn't immediately see him, "Ron?"

"Over here," he called from the side near a large tree.

She walked over to him as he kept his back turned towards her. Reaching him, she placed a hand on his shoulder and opened her mouth to comfort him when she heard the distinct sound of a zipper. Unable to stop herself she looked towards the sound to discover Ron pulling his length from inside his pants and he began to urinate on the tree. "What-why would you-I'm right here for Merlin's sake!" she screeched jumping back from him.

He infuriated her by chuckling. "What'd you think I was doing over here?"

"I thought you were upset," she answered, her face red as she fought the urge to turn back and take a second look. It was the first time she had ever seen a man unclothed, aside from pictures in medical books, and she suddenly wished she had gotten a better look. Not because she, in any way, wanted to see Ron like that but because she was curious and wanted a bit more of an idea of what she was facing when she did see Fred again.

"I'm fine," his voice still held humor in it, "I'll be back in just a minute."

"Fine." She went back in the tent and picked up his search for the broadcast. When he came back, she moved to give him plenty of space. She soon discovered it was suddenly a little hard to look him in the eye. At least Harry was too preoccupied to notice anything as he moved outside to start the nightly guard duty. Hermione absently grabbed up the sword of Gryffindor and began to polish it while letting her mind wander a bit. Ron's whoop of excitement brought her attention back to the tent and to the radio that was now playing Potterwatch.

She listened quietly while Lee, Kingsley, and Lupin spoke. But when 'Rapier' began her heart thundered in her chest; it was Fred. It felt so good to hear his voice that she wasn't even aware of the tears that trickled down her face as she smiled and laughed at his lighthearted comments.

"And finally," Fred's voice suddenly took on a heavy handed quality, "I would like to tell that certain someone if she's listening, that I love her and miss her terribly and look forward to meeting her under our oak tree again." She could hear the sigh as he moved away from the magical microphone.

She closed her eyes and fingered her beloved locket.

"Hermione," Harry began.

"I know, Harry." She wiped her cheeks as the boys started discussing everything they heard.

A stone dropped in her stomach when Harry said the name 'Voldemort' despite Ron's protests. Panic seized her and she did the first thing she could think of and aimed a hex at Harry face, to disguise his features. She trembled when the snatchers tied them up, though she was somewhat relieved to see Dean Thomas. She wanted to cry when they recognized her from the Prophet article, which also gave away Harry.

What felt like seconds later, they were before the Malfoy's and Bellatrix LeStrange. She could feel Harry shaking beside her and the way he seemed to be slipping in and out of focus. Bellatrix was terrifying, even more so when she grabbed Hermione by the hair and separated her from her friends. She watched as the others were taken away by Greyback while Draco's parents and aunt stared at her hungrily.

The first jolt of pain threw her to her knees, the second and she found herself lying on the floor. She tried desperately to keep her wits about her despite the agony her body was in. She refused to allow the truth past her lips. A voice in her head kept telling her that if she told them the verity of the sword the torture would cease and she would be allowed to rest. However a deeper voice of reason knew the only rest they would give her, would be in death. Given the first opportunity, she declared the sword a fake and collapsed in a heap when Bellatrix lifted her wand away from the girl.

Fred apparated straight into his living room from the secret location of the radio broadcast. He looked about the flat to make sure George was there before he allowed himself to relax. His brother's clothes were strewn across the couch along with a shirt and bra of Verity's. Fred couldn't help but grin; although he missed Hermione dreadfully, he wouldn't begrudge his twin a bit of fun. Plus, he liked Verity, she was a great worker when the store had actually been open and she treated his brother well.

He made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge more out of boredom than hunger. Not seeing much he grabbed a leftover slightly soggy sandwich. He sat on the couch when a groan came from George's bedroom, he must have neglected the silencing charm. Grinning like an idiot, Fred made his way to the door and placed his ear on it. He could hear his brother say something indistinct followed by a muffled response by Verity. What are they doing? Fred being out of the company of his girlfriend for far too long already, found himself too curious to pass up the opportunity. He waited until he heard George's encouraging moans before he silently pushed the door open a crack.

He poked his head in to see his brother reclined in a large chair, head resting against the back of it. Most of his view was cut off by the bed, but he could see that the girl was on her knees in front of the chair. He raised his wand intending to scare the both of them, when George opened his eyes and looked directly at his twin. Fred froze, smirk and all, as George glared at him. He laughed silently and raised his sandwich and an eyebrow. George grinned and shook his head, "Don't stop, love," he whispered lowering a hand out of Fred's view.

Thoroughly entertained, Fred conjured a cauldron and a few empty flasks and mimed brewing a potion. Then he pointed to first George then himself followed by a finger at the floor in the direction of their potion's room. George snorted a bit, causing Verity to mumble something unintelligible, and he shook his head. George raised a hand pointed at himself then made a slashing motion across his neck, and then pointed to Fred with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Fred hunched over in effort to control his desire to laugh out loud.

Fred stood up and moved the rest of the way into the room, closing the door most of the way behind him, he wanted to be able to make a quick exit if necessary. He pointed to himself, then George and Verity, followed by the bed and made a few shagging motions. George sent him a rude hand gesture and started to point again when a knock came on his bedroom door.

"Yeah?" they said together. Verity shrieked and looked up to see Fred grinning back at her.

"This is ridiculous," she hastily grabbed one of George's shirts off the floor and threw it over her head.

"George? Is Fred-" Bill opened the door, "Fred! You have to come with me now." Bill grabbed his little brother's arm and tugged him out of the room.

All thoughts of humor and modesty aside, Fred allowed himself to be pulled from the room followed closely by a naked George and a second later by Verity, tugging on the hem of the shirt that barely covered her bum. Bill drug him over to the fireplace. "Wait, Bill, what's going on?"

"Your girlfriend's at my house," he grabbed a fist full of floo powder and turned to the group trailing behind him. "She'll be alright, but... George for Merlin's sake put some clothes on. My place is pretty packed, if you want to see them, wait at least an hour. They're not really up for much right now anyways."

Panicked, Fred grabbed some floo powder and preceded Bill into the fireplace. George grabbed a pair of blue glow-in-the-dark boxers off a nearby chair and watched his brother leave. He spun out of the hearth in Bill's small cottage. Fleur was there to greet him with a shaky hug. "She eez over 'ere." She led him to a small bedroom just off the kitchen.

Hermione lay on the bed, arms lying limply beside her. "Is she okay?" He touched her cheek softly and she didn't stir. Her brow was furrowed and her fists were clenched as she slept.

"It was the crutiatus curse." Ron was huddled in a chair staring blankly at the sleeping girl. "Dobby didn't make it," his voice cracked. Fred placed a hand on his brother's bowed head. "I'm going to help Harry now that you're here." He got up and left the room without another word.

"Hermione?" Fred whispered beside her ear. "Can you hear me, love?"

"Fred," the girl murmured, her brow and hands relaxing.

"That's right, I'm here. You're safe now." He stroked the hair off of her forehead and kissed it lightly.


	35. Pain

Hermione lay silently on the bed. She knew Ron sat beside her and she was grateful to not be alone. Her body was wracked with pain, radiating from her head down to her toes. She wasn't sure where they were, she thought she heard Bill's voice but nothing looked the familiar. Her mind didn't seem to be able to piece anything together, random fragments of ideas and memories floated around freely. For a moment she was sure she heard Fred, but that was impossible. Then she was sure, Fred was speaking to her and someone was playing with her hair. Lips brushed her forehead and her nerves were so sensitive that it almost hurt. She licked her dry lips and tried to speak, "Fred?"

"Yes, love, I'm here." He stroked her hair again and she struggled to open her sore eyes. Fred leaned over her, shaggy ginger locks hanging in his face. "There you are. How are you feeling?"

"Hurts," she whispered.

"Take this." He supported her head and shoulders so he could tip a potion into her mouth. "Swallow it, baby." She obeyed with difficulty. "That's my girl." He kissed her forehead again.

"Harry? Ron?" The pain eased enough that her mind cleared. "Where are we?"

"Shell Cottage, Bill's house. Harry and Ron are outside…Dobby didn't make it, love."

"Dobby? What are you talking about?"

"He came to rescue you lot. Well he got you all out, but he died when you got here."

"Wh-how?" Hermione was confused. She barely recalled passing out at Bellatrix Lestrange's feet; she had no clue what happened after that.

"I'm not sure. Ron just told me on his way out, and I overheard Fleur talking to someone else about it."

"Fred?" Bill tentatively called while opening the door, "we're going outside. They've got the grave dug."

"I'm going too." Hermione tried to sit up but Fred gently pushed her back down. "Fred, I'm going out there. You said, you said Dobby gave his life for us. He deserves our respects." She watched the war raging in his eyes and knew the moment that she won. He sighed and helped her stand. She had to lean heavily against him but they made it out to the graveside. He held on to her hips, supporting almost her entire weight while Luna said a few words. Hermione's heart broke at the sight of Harry, she longed to hold him but she didn't have the strength.

On the way back in she stumbled and only Fred's grip on her waist kept her from falling to her face. His hands steadied her again when she swayed. "Alright, that's enough." He swept her up in his arms and carried her back inside. She snuggled into his warm chest and buried her face in his neck. He sat on the couch where everyone was gathering and she burrowed deeper into his lap. She sighed contentedly when his arms tightened around her. "I've missed you, pet." He kept his voice low and nuzzled her ear.

"I've missed you too," she whispered squeezing his neck. "I've missed everything about you."

"Everything?" he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to chuckle.

"Everything," she put on the cheekiest grin she could manage to which he snorted. She opened her mouth to continue their banter when she noticed Harry in the doorway. She watched the exchange between him and Bill and wondered at the difference in him. It seemed that Dobby's death was a changing point for him. "Fred when he speaks with them, I have to be there."

"I figured," he shrugged with a frown. "Please tell me you're not leaving yet."

"I don't know. I hope not." She wasn't ready to let go of her boyfriend so soon after meeting up with him again. She made a quick scan of the room and no one appeared to be paying them any attention.

She looked back into his sparkling eyes and placed a tender kiss on his lips. She felt the whole of his body relax while his arms pulled her even closer. She started to pull back, but he didn't allow it. His lips slid gently but persistently over hers. She forgot about the others in the room; she no longer cared if they watched or not. She opened her mouth to him and delighted when his tongue slipped in to caress hers. She heard his deep moan and felt in through her chest which was plastered to his. She was vaguely aware of the sigh that escaped her. A throat cleared somewhere to her left.

"Hermione," Ron's voice sounded amused and yet annoyed. She didn't let it stop her; she continued to enjoy the taste of Fred. "Hermione," he sounded more urgent.

With an unpleasant groan, she tore her lips away from Fred's. "What Ron?" She recognized the frustration and slight anger that filled her voice. Ron huffed at her and pointed in the direction where Harry was having words with Bill and Fleur. "Oh." She turned her eyes back to the pouting man beside her. "I'll be back." He nodded at her but didn't meet her eyes. She climbed painfully off of his lap and received a soft pop on the arse as she walked with Ron over to where Harry could see them. They waited silently to see if he would invite them along.

* * *

Fred watched her go with a frown on his face. He knew it was something she had to do, but he couldn't help being upset about it. He also felt left out like she thought she couldn't trust him. He rubbed a hand over his face when she followed the others up the stairs to talk to the goblin and wand maker. No one moved much while the trio was upstairs. They all continued to sit around and drink their tea and chat. Dean and Luna filled the group in on a little more of what had happened. Although of course, neither knew the full story, or the reasons behind their actions.

The three came back downstairs and Hermione threw him an uncertain look before following Harry out to the garden. Fred sat impatiently unsure what to do with himself. He breathed a sigh of relief when they came back in and his girl sat close to his side. She rested her head heavily on his shoulder. "You should get some rest."

"I am rather tired." She yawned as if for proof.

"I'm taking you to bed. Say good-night," he announced. He stood and helped her shakily to her feet. "Bill, have you heard from George?" He was anxious to know what was keeping his twin.

"Oh Fred, I'm sorry. He floo'd while you were with Hermione. He went to Aunt Muriel's to tell everyone about what's been happening here. Said he's going to be staying there and he'd figured you'd be staying here."

"As long you don't mind."

Bill snorted, "Like you'd let that stop you."

"Yeah, good point." Fred felt a small hand on his lower back. Hermione stood leaning against the wall for support, her face pale. "Right then, good night everybody." He scooped her up and pressed her body close his as he carried her to the room she was previously resting in. He heard her small chuckle. A shiver chased down his spine when she looped her arms around his neck, relaxing in his grip. He toed open the door then kicked it shut behind him. "Here we are." He laid her gently on the bed and adjusted to remove her shoes.

She tittered and tried to pull her foot away. "Fred, I can do that myself."

"Of course you can. But isn't it easier to let me do it for you?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Good, then let me help you." He slid the shoe off followed by her sock. He moved to the other foot and passed her a small beaded bag that was hidden in her sock. "Do you need anything else? A bath maybe?"

"A bath would be lovely," she smiled, "but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I don't think I've the strength for it tonight."

"Well, I have plenty of strength. Feel free to borrow." He hopped up from the bed and moved to the adjoining bathroom and started to run a bath for her.

"Um…Fred," he loved the shade of pink her face had turned, "I don't think-"

"Hermione, do you trust me?"

"Yes, of course, but-"

"Then trust me." He squeezed her hand. "Do you have any clean night clothes for afterwards?"

"Yes, in my bag." She still looked somewhat uncomfortable but kept her doubts quiet.

Fred reached into her small beaded bag and ended up having to use a summoning charm to retrieve a nice flannel nightdress. He headed back to check on the water and pronounced it ready. He poured some salts and oils into it to help her body relax. He went back to the bedroom to find her sitting nervously on the edge of the bed. He once again picked her up, not necessarily because she needed it but simply due to his desire to hold her. He set her down on the toilet and began to unwind her hair from its messy ponytail.

He drew in a deep breath and looked directly into her eyes. He could feel the nervousness radiating from her but knew the bath would do her a world of good. He released the breath he'd been holding and flipped his hair out of his face. He reached for the buttons on the front of her borrowed nightgown. He focused on her eyes, letting her know he wouldn't be ogling her; he would keep it strictly professional. He fought the hostility that bubbled up in his gut at the sight of the thin fresh scar crossing her neck. He reached the last button and eased the garment down off of her shoulders to pool at her waist. His breath caught when he saw she wore no bra.

"Can you stand?" his voice was deep and husky even to his own ears. Scarlet faced, she nodded and held onto his forearm to pull herself up. The gown fell to the floor, leaving her in just her white cotton knickers. He cleared his throat and refused the urge to look down. His hands skimmed down her sides to feel the waistband and lowered them. He knelt in front of her, to slide the all the way down, his eyes never leaving hers. She placed her hands on his shoulders to step out of the panties. His breath was coming hard, his throat dry, but he ignored it and swooped her up. He got his upper body soaked in his attempt to lower her gently into the tub.

She hissed when the water hit her flesh. The sound didn't do anything help his body to calm down at all. He sat on the toilet and waited while she rested her head back on the tub, her eyes fluttering closed. He debated on whether to use a drying spell or to just remove his shirt. He didn't want to sleep in it anyway, so he slipped it over his head and tossed it in the pile with her clothes.

--

**A/N: Thanks again guys! Please review. **

**Poll results: If faced with the decision of one twin or both who would you pick?**

**1st: both with 43**

**2nd: Fred only with 14**

**3rd: George only with 5**

**4th: neither go zero votes, big surprise.**


	36. Nightmares

Hermione was distinctly aware of her nudity. She knew her face was a burning red and kept it turned away from her boyfriend. The bubbles surrounding and covering her body gave her some comfort and with no little effort she allowed her head to recline back to rest against the edge of the tub. The scent of lavender floated up to her and she took a deep relaxing breath and closed her eyes. She heard Fred beside her on the toilet, he kept shuffling around and his breath was hard and slightly ragged. She pried her eyes open and rolled her head to look at him.

Her eyes first took in his flushed cheeks and the lip that he chewed on. Gradually she lowered them to his strong chest that was for some reason bare. "Fred?" Her voice was hoarse. His head snapped in her direction. She smiled that he kept his eyes deliberately on hers, never letting them wander even though the bubbles concealed her nude form. "What happened to your shirt?"

He pointed to a pile of clothing, "Got wet." She couldn't explain the rough quality to his voice but it sent an odd shiver playing down her spine. "Need any help?" She waited for the eyebrow wiggle, a wink, or even a smirk, none of which came.

"Do you mind?" She looked away again, her face bright.

"Not at all." He smiled at her, reaching behind her and grabbed a bottle of green shampoo. She saw his hand tremble slightly as he squeezed some of the liquid into his palm.

She took a breath and dunked her head to wet her hair, twisting to keep her aching body hidden from view. When she surfaced, she saw the grinning Weasley holding a cup. "Oh," she smiled sheepishly at him. He set the cup down with a shake of his head and began to lather her curls. "Mmmm. That feels wonderful." She tipped her head so he had full access as he massaged her scalp. She marveled at how gentle his hands were when he rinsed her hair, careful to keep the soap away from her face. She reluctantly opened her eyes again, when he had finished rinsing out the conditioner. A loofa was held in front of her soap already lathered on it. "I can do that." She took it from his fingers with a small smile.

Fred turned pointedly away while she washed her arms, legs, and body from the grime of months in a tent without a proper bath.

She sighed at the wonderful clean feeling. Hermione tried to ignore the tenderness in her shoulder as she stretched to reach her back but a gasp of pain found its way past her lips. Fred's hand covered hers and slipped the sponge from her fingers. Without a word, he began to scrub her back. It felt so good that she couldn't resist pulling her knees up to rest her forehead on them. "You're quite good at that. I might have to permanently install you in my bathroom when this is all over." She heard Fred chuckle before his soapy hands started rubbing the tender flesh of her back, shoulders and neck.

"I'll join you in the bathroom anytime," he whispered close to her ear. He continued to ease the tension out of her muscles for a few more minutes before Hermione yawned widely. "Alright, that's my sign. Time for bed." He used the cup to rinse her off one final time before he grabbed a giant fluffy red towel. "Do you think you can stand?" he asked opening the towel to hide her body from his view.

"I'll try," she grunted, trying to pull herself up.

"Here, let me help." He gripped one edge of the towel with his teeth and used his free hand to haul her to her feet. She shivered and wrapped herself in the offered towel. Once it was secured into place, she glanced up to see him watching his shoes. She reached out and touched his upper arm to catch his attention. Grinning like a fool, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. "I vote you forgo the knickers."

She puffed out a humored breath, "Any particular reason for that?"

"No, not really. Just nice for my imagination." He was holding her nightshirt in his shaky hands.

"With such a strong argument, how can I deny you?" She helped him slip the pajamas over her towel and pulled it as low as possible while she was sitting. "Oh, that's right, I just say no." She bit back a snort as his face fell from hopeful to thwarted.

"I'll work on a better case for tomorrow." He helped her slip her panties up to her knees. Sturdy hands then lifted her from the bed and held her gown up and out of her way, while his eyes again locked on hers. "Go on."

"You've no idea how much I appreciate this, Fred." She made as quick work of her towel and knickers as she could and he dropped her gown so that it hung down to mid-calf. He moved to help her to lie down but she stopped him with a soft kiss. She watched his eyes fill with emotion as he pulled back and helped her to bed and get covered up. He headed to the bathroom. "Wait! Aren't you staying with me?"

"Course I am." He disappeared into the bathroom. He reemerged after she heard the tub drain and he shut out the light. She watched as he moved to the opposite side of the bed. He shed his pants without hesitation to reveal a pair of dark green boxer briefs. She wasn't sure how long she stared before he spoke again, "Anything you want to see, pet, all you have to do is ask."

Her eyes popped up to meet his. He wore an enormous smirk which she figured he earned after the way she openly ogled his body.

He watched as her eyes lowered down his body to settle on his underwear. He was surprised when she didn't immediately glance away. He watched as she bit her lip and he had to disrupt her before he did something regrettable in her state. After his offer, he was again caught off guard when she simply smiled at him and laid her head back down on the pillow.

He climbed in the bed and had a moment of uncertainty. He didn't know how close she would let him get, plus he didn't want to accidentally hurt her. Luckily, she seemed to sense his unease and rolled over to wrap an arm around his torso. A wave of contentment washed over him when he pulled her into his arms and she snuggled into his chest. He placed a soothing kiss on her forehead, then closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

"No, no please!" Hermione's voice startled him awake. "Please-don't-sword!" Her words were disjointed and ranged from a pleading whisper to a strangled yell.

"Hermione, you need to wake up." He shook her lightly, but she continued to call out in her nightmare. "Come on love, wake up. You're safe, baby, open your eyes." She slowly started to calm, her body no longer jerking and twisting, her calls lowering in volume.

"Fred?" she choked. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

"I'm here, right here. Open your eyes." He kept his voice as soothing as he could. He smoothed her wild hair back out of her face.

Her eyelashes fluttered apart, releasing more tears that he kissed away. "Don't leave me." She gripped his shoulders so tightly that her short fingernails bit into his flesh.

"I'm not going anywhere." He fought the wince as her nails drew blood. "You're mine and nobody's taking you away."

"Mine," she sobbed and released his shoulders to instead link her arms securely around his neck. She pulled him into a crushing hold on top of her. It wasn't long before her breathing evened out and her hold slackened. He, too, felt himself drifting off once again.

She woke twice more throughout the night. Each time was much the same as the first. She cried out and thrashed around until he managed to wake her. Then she would cling to him with a desperation that was almost scary.

The morning's light shone brightly through the window on the intertwined couple, rousing them once more. Fred groaned and turned his back to the sun and pulled his girlfriend closer to his body. He felt her tense and twist as if to identify him before she put her back firmly to his chest and allowed herself to be spooned. He moaned softly when her bottom shoved up against him.

"You awake?" she whispered to him, her voice scratchy from sleep and crying.

"Yeah," his own voice was rough.

"I can trust you right? You can't even tell Harry or Ron."

"Of course." He was wide awake now and listened intently.

She paused and took a deep breath. "You-know-who made Horcurx's. We're hunting them down." He wasn't sure what a Horcrux was, but if Voldemort made them, they couldn't be good. "After we destroy all of them, he's last. Harry has to face him."

"The prophecy?" he could hardly breathe.

"Yes, one of them has to kill the other." Hermione sighed heavily. "So you understand why I have to leave with him, don't you?"

Fred closed his eyes tight and squeezed her hard. "Thank you for telling me." He swept her hair to the side and gently kissed her neck, just under her ear. "I don't like it, but at least I now I can understand. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Me? Do something stupid. Isn't that Ron's job?" She tried weakly to joke but it was too soon for Fred. He held her ignoring the knocking on the door and the sun that insisted on shining.


	37. Taking a Step

The weeks at Shell Cottage passed quickly for Hermione. Every day she planned with Ron, Harry, and Griphook to break into Gringotts; and every night she spent wrapped in Fred's embrace. He held her through her nightmares; whispering soothing words in her ears when she cried. Gradually, with his help, the terrifying dreams were beat back.

It was the night before the trio intended to leave and she was once more spooning with her boyfriend. "Fred, are you awake?" She heard the tremor in her voice.

"Yeah. You alright?" She could feel him shift behind her to prop himself on an elbow and lean over her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she began, "no, I'm better than fine. Being here with you like this, these past couple of weeks has been magical. I missed you so much while we were away. And you've been more wonderful than I could possibly imagine; helping me when I was weak, getting me through those horrible nightmares, being so patient." She paused to take a deep breath, but he interrupted her.

"Hermione, I love you more than anything. You're like…like George to me." She raised her eyebrows at him and he snorted, "Except much prettier. George is quite stunning though." He waited while she laughed. "I don't know what I would do without you. And while you've been gone, I've felt so alone and miserable. I know you have to leave with Harry," his voice dipped into irritation for a moment at the boy's name, "and I understand that, I do. And I don't mind not rushing things with you. In fact, I think it's made us much better together, stronger. Don't you think?"

"I do," she swallowed, hoping this time he'd let her finish. "But there was something I've been wanting to do since the wedding."

"What?" he asked when she stopped again.

Hermione stilled her nerves, "I want to be with you Fred."

His brows furrowed, "Aren't we together?"

"Yes," she smiled, "but I mean that I want to be with you."

"Hermione, I don't-wait, what?" His eyes widened and he licked his lips in nervous realization.

"I want our first time to be tonight." Her mouth was suddenly dry. "That is, if you want me."

"If I-if I want you? Are you kidding? Of course I do! I've wanted you for two years. But, don't you think this is kind of sudden?" He climbed over her to look her in the eyes. "Why the sudden rush?"

"It's not a rush. It's just," she sighed and looked away from his eyes, "I'm afraid I may not make it through this." She raised her voice when he made a sound to interrupt. "And I don't want to die without knowing what it is to love you completely."

"We do love each other completely. I love you with my whole heart, which is why I don't think we should do this. I don't want you to regret it when it does happen." It was his turn to look away.

"I could never regret giving myself to you." She kissed his lips softly. "It's just not possible." She deepened the kiss, stroking his tongue with hers.

She felt his hand lift to her cheek, his thumb making small semi-circles. Her hand moved up and tangled itself in his ginger locks. She trailed her other hand down his well-defined back, scratching lightly with her nails. He moaned into her mouth and rolled his weight forward to rest on top of her. One hand stayed on her cheek, his elbow kept him from crushing her. The other traveled down her side, setting a trail of fire underneath her nightdress.

His kiss became harder, more demanding when his hand reached her thigh. She could feel it grip the fabric of her nightgown and give a tug upwards. He shifted his weight and before she had realized it, her gown was bunched up at her waist, revealing her pink cotton knickers. "You sure about this?"

"Please," she begged and kissed his chest where it hovered above her. He still looked a little uncertain but set his fingers to work on her buttons. Reverently, he lifted the garment up and over her head. Her chest lay bare to him; he ran his hands over her breasts and belly. He let one finger dip inside her belly button causing her to chuckle.

"You're so beautiful." He kissed her from her collar down to her breast, his free hand gently cupping the opposite one.

"Oh Fred," she moaned. Her hands stroked his shoulders and hair, wherever she could reach. His lips left a blazing trail down from her breast to her tummy and continued lower. She felt him nip the edge of her knickers and repressed the urge to yelp. "Fred, please, please."

"Mmhmm." Fred kissed her again. That time though, he hooked a finger into each side of her underwear and peeled them off slowly, leaving her utterly exposed to his eyes. His breath hitched at the sight of her. She was more beautiful than he could have imagined. A small hand slipped under his chin and tilted his head so that he was again looking at her face. She looked nervous but was still smiling. She nibbled on her lower lip.

"You said all I had to do was ask." Her face turned red as she looked pointedly at his boxer briefs. He couldn't resist the smug grin that turned his lips up. "Can I see?"

"See what?"

"Fred!"

"Okay, okay," he laughed. He stepped off the bed and stood with his arms crossed. "Do your worst."

"Oh, you're not going to…" she lowered her eyes to his tight briefs. "You want me to…"

"Yep." He grinned at her. "You can do whatever you want. I won't move an inch." He watched her eyes dart nervously from his face to his briefs. Slowly, she moved to the edge of the bed. He noticed the self conscious way she moved, so unlike her normal attitude. She stood in front of him, looking him in the eye and reached for the edge of his shorts. She nibbled her lip again and knelt down in front of him to tug his boxers down.

He watched her as best as he could, and saw her eyes widen when his shorts were lowered. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back slightly while he concentrated on what his girl was doing. Her inexperienced exploration of him set his heart to racing and he had to grit his teeth to stop the release that was threatening. After just another minute, she reached to pull his briefs off from around his ankles.

He stubbornly held still. She tried to lift his foot but he didn't budge, she tried tickling the back of his knee but he didn't flinch. "Alright Fred, you can move now." He could practically hear her roll her eyes at him. He stepped out of them and picked her up. Then he launched the two of them onto the bed. "Oomph!" He shifted his weight so he wouldn't squish her into the mattress too bad and then leaned in for another kiss.

He kissed, licked, and nibbled a path down her neck and headed towards her belly button. She squealed a little and twisted when he flicked his tongue inside of it. When she stopped squirming he kissed lower down and was delighted to hear all the little mews and sounds she made. A glance upwards showed her head thrown back, lips parted, eyes closed. He returned his attentions back to his ministrations. He felt her body start to tremble and he barely heard her whispering, "Oh Fred."

Her back arched off the bed, a sharp cry on her lips. He smiled as he heard her yell, "Oh Fffff-George!"


	38. Goodbyes

Fred popped up as a blanket was unceremoniously flung over his head. "What the hell?" Hermione fought to keep the cover over her exposed body. He finally managed to wiggle out from under the covers. "Please tell me, why on earth you would call out-"

A throat cleared over by the door. "Fred?"

Hermione could tell her face was beet red. She had just reached her release when her eyes fluttered open and saw George standing in the doorway grinning.

"George, what are you doing here?" Fred's face relaxed from the simmering anger that it had been. Hermione smiled bashfully when he tucked the cover more tightly under her chin.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he looked anything but sorry, "but we've got to go. We have to get anything out of the flat that we need. We're all set to stay with Aunt Muriel."

"Does it have to be now?"

"Go on, Fred. It's okay." She kissed his cheek. "The moment's kind of ruined now anyway."

She watched him huff and lean over the edge of the bed to grab his shorts. Her eyes automatically flew to his perfectly sculpted bottom until she heard George chuckling. "Out, you!" Fred shouted, throwing one of Hermione's slippers at his retreating form. He pulled on his shorts, which didn't do much to consider the state he was left in.

Hermione waited patiently while he located the rest of his clothes. She was sorry that she would miss out on making love to him, but her body still hummed from what she had experienced. Maybe it was better that they took a step in that direction rather than a leap. At least now she was better prepared. Seeing Ron was nothing compared to Fred. She hadn't expected it, despite the pictures she had seen in medical books. It was somewhat intimidating.

After he pulled on his shoe, he looked over at her. Her belly clenched tightly at the look in his eyes. Without warning he flung himself on top of her, nearly cracking their heads together. Instead of the hard passionate kiss she expected, his lips were soft against hers, barely grazing them. "I'll see you. Take care of yourself." He rested his forehead touching hers. "I love you."

"I love you too, Fred. I'll miss you so much." She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close for what she feared was the last time. A knock at the door interrupted them.

"Yeah, George, I'm coming."

"Not George," Harry said, poking his head in through the door. Fred immediately pulled the covers up to her chin again. "We're ready, Hermione."

"Alright, give me a minute." She fought against the tears that threatened to spill.

"Don't cry, pet." Fred kissed her softly again. "We've got this far, haven't we? There can't be much standing between us and the end of this war now. Then we'll be together and I can tell you more about that daydream I had of you." His hand slid down to her uncovered tummy.

She nodded her head and watched him walk out the door. His eyes were glistening when he turned back to shut the door. She allowed herself a few moments to relive her own daydream from so long ago. It paled in comparison to the way the real Fred could make her feel. With a determined swipe at her tears, she rose from the bed and sought out her 'costume' for the day.

Fred latched onto George's shoulder as soon as he shut the door. He knew if his brother wasn't there, he wouldn't be able to walk away. George didn't say anything as he slung an arm around his shoulders and led him down the hall. His vision blurry, he tried to focus on the pale face of his little brother and his best friend sitting at the table waiting on Hermione. The goblin they spent so much time holed up with was there as well.

He was surprised when Ron's lanky form barreled into him in an effort to hug both of the twins at the same time. He awkwardly patted his little brother on the back and could see George doing the same.

"Take care of her, Ron." George broke the hug to pull back and see the boy's face.

"I will." Ron nodded.

"We will," Harry added, standing. He stuck his hand out and wrung both of their hands in turn.

Fred simply nodded his head at the boys. He was afraid if he opened his mouth to talk, the lump that was lodged in his throat would break free. He fisted his hand on George's shoulder urging him to get them out of there.

"We'll be seeing you. Take care of yourselves too." George grinned at Ron. "We'd hate to have to listen to Mum gush over her little baby if he got hurt. She'd be a pain if something happened to you too, Ron." They exchanged more nods and grins before the twins finally reached the floo.

Fred spun out of the fireplace into his little flat. Immediately, he knew something wasn't right. He pulled his wand from his pocket and searched the room quietly while he waited for George's arrival. His twin tumbled forward before catching himself and standing up straight. Fred caught his eye and saw that he felt it as well. They had to get to an exit, they couldn't just floo out, because they would have to say the directions to their Aunt Muriel's, giving away nearly their entire family. Fred saw George extract his wand from his pocket as well.

Together, they moved silently through the room, towards the staircase at the far end that led to the shop below. Fred pulled the door open and cringed when it creaked; it was followed by footsteps pounding through their flat. He bolted down the steps as fast as he could, George hot on his heels. They dashed into an aisle and hunkered down to calm themselves and think of a plan.

Fred looked up and saw, luckily, that they were in the aisle with the decoy detonators. He carefully withdrew four of them and passed two to his brother. They could hear the sounds of heavy boots coming in their direction. Fred surreptitiously dropped the little decoy and slunk in the opposite direction with George in tow. They waited as patiently as possible for the noise.

Fireworks sounded from the far end of the store, the boys held still as they watched the Death Eaters' robes fly past their row. George started shoving him towards the door. He opened the door just as a Catherine wheel jetted passed. They quickly darted out and shut the door leaving the chaos behind with the cursing Death Eaters. They ambled as casually as possible down the near empty streets of Diagon Alley.

"Where are we going?" George asked when Fred continued to drag him further down the road. "Fred! We have to get out of here."

"I know," Fred looked around. "I just don't want to be grabbed at the last second and drag some Death Eater along with us."

"Alright, let's go over by the old ice cream shop." They had just reached it when a tall woman caught their eyes. "Shit," George whispered and grabbed Fred to pull him down and out of sight.

The woman turned her arrogant eyes in their direction. Bellatrix's eyes landed on Fred and she smiled. Fred crinkled his brow thoroughly confused, while George looked behind them. Suddenly, she shook her head and turned back to her destination. She and her companion continued on their way to Gringotts. "That was too weird," Fred shrugged, "let's get out of here."


	39. Battle of Hogwarts

Hermione had to shake herself; she had seen Fred and George hiding behind the tables at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Before she could stop herself she had smiled at him. She almost laughed at the way their faces both scrunched up in confusion. She reminded herself that she couldn't be caught smiling at them or it would totally destroy their plans. Not to mention she didn't want to draw too much attention to them. Sticking her nose higher in the air, she turned away from them and continued on her way, Ron walking obliviously beside her.

The undertaking at Gringotts was a complete fiasco. Hermione was there and still she found it hard to believe. She lay on the ground relieved to be off the dragon's back. Ron too looked glad to still be alive. Harry's eyes however had gone blank. She sighed; he was in Voldemort's head again. A look was shared as they waited for Harry to return to them. She felt like she swallowed an entire bottle of laxative when the boys decided to just rush straight to Hogwarts without stopping to formulate a plan. Her mind was littered with all the things that could go wrong as they apparated to Hogsmeade.

Things happened so quickly afterwards, that she nearly gave into the panic. The relief of Aberforth rescuing them was short lived. Her sense of urgency continued to grow as he rattled on about Professor Dumbledore, though her attention was caught with the painting of Ariana. She wasn't sure how to feel when Ariana brought Neville through the portrait to them. She was pleased to see a familiar friendly face, but he was so beaten up she wanted to cry for him.

It didn't take long for Hermione to register the changes in the boy, aside from just the physical; he carried himself with pride for the first time in her memory. The trip through the portrait seemed to take ages, until at last they emerged in the Room of Requirement. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits at the sight of Harry. Hermione felt her own spirits lifting despite everything working against them. She spun as an unfamiliar hand landed on her shoulder. It was Seamus Finnigan and he looked horrible. She gasped at the sight of his swollen and bruised face, she barely even recognized him.

She was quiet for the most part, letting Harry handle things. Seamus kept his hand on her shoulder and shot her glance after glance. It was grating on her nerves that he would be giving her those looks after such a long time. Also at such an important moment; she didn't need him invading her space while they were supposed to be concentrating on the war with Voldemort. She shrugged off his hand and tried to casually put distance between them. To her great annoyance, he followed. She had just opened her mouth to whisper furiously at him when the portrait hole once again spilled out more people. "Fred!" she squeaked and launched herself at him.

He caught her and gave her a fierce hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Seamus scowling. She held tightly to him, burying her face in his chest while he spoke with Harry. The steady beat of his heart calmed her frayed nerves and she found her mind clearing to allow the flow of thought once more. Fred squeezed her tightly to him when she sighed contentedly. He placed a light kiss on her temple and released her to join the whispered conversation between Harry and Ron.

She felt proud of Harry when he left with Luna for Ravenclaw Tower. She also however knew that she couldn't just sit idly by and wait for his return. "What now?" she asked Ron, who looked just as lost.

"We still have to figure out how to get rid of them," Ron kept his voice lowered. He sat down on the floor, with his head in his hands.

"I know." Hermione rubbed her forehead, fighting off the beginnings of a headache. She felt Fred's hands land on her neck and start to massage it. She moaned as the pressure released beneath his fingers.

"The diary!" Ron yelled, jumping to his feet. Several of the other students were startled at his outburst. "Hermione we have to go to that bathroom."

"The fangs." She felt excitement well up in her chest. "Ron, you're a genius!" She turned to her boyfriend, "Fred," she began.

"I know, love, just be careful." He gave her a soft kiss and she sprinted out of the room hot on Ron's heels.

* * *

Fred hated the feeling that coursed through him when she left with Ron. It was the same thing he felt each time he knew she was going to be in danger. He sat on the floor beside George.

"I don't like this," George whispered, "something just doesn't feel right."

"Same here brother," Fred mumbled, "I've been feeling it all day."

"Fred? George?" Mrs. Weasley rushed towards them from the portrait hole. She turned her eyes on her youngest child. "Ginny," her voice was stern.

"Mum, we brought her," the twins said together. "Ron's here too," George continued.

"He left with Hermione," Fred finished before his parents could ask for his whereabouts.

"Harry already ran off too," Ginny's voice dipped into sadness. She flopped onto the floor between the twins who placed a comforting hand on each of her shoulders. "I just feel so useless," she whined softly.

"You and me both," Fred grumbled. "Is anyone else coming?"

"Yes," Mr. Weasley said, "after we got your message, we passed it on to the rest of the Order. They should be arriving shortly. He was right, it was only a few more minutes before Order members started to arrive; Lupin, Kingsley, Bill and Fleur among others.

"So what's the plan?" Lupin questioned the twins.

"We're waiting on Harry to-" Fred was interrupted by the door opening. Harry and Luna tumbled in. He smiled at the younger boy's startled look. After a few minutes and one make up session with Percy later, they all headed for the Great Hall.

Fred cringed when he heard Voldemort's hissing voice carry through the castle. The time had finally arrived for action. He watched as the younger students were led to the Room of Requirement, led by Slytherin House. Once he had been assigned his 'troops' by Kingsley and Lupin he looked to his brother. "George, I-"

"I love you too, brother." George gave him a brief hug before charging off for his appointed area, a small group of students trailing after him.

"Let's go." Fred headed off in the opposite direction followed by Lee, Percy, Hannah Abbott and a couple Hufflepuffs. He was terrified of leaving George's side during the battle. He knew it had to be done, no one knew the secret entrances better than the two of them, but he didn't have to like it. He stationed Percy and the Hufflepuffs at one spot and Lee with Hannah at the other, while he patrolled between the two.

Numerous students and faculty members charged passed them; some acknowledging them, others not. It wasn't until he saw Harry run passed alone that he began to really worry about Hermione. He wasn't sure where she and Ron had gone off to, and apparently Harry had yet to locate them.

"Oi!" Lee yelled startled. A Death Eater attempted to make his way through the opening they were guarding. He was hit simultaneously with three stunners to the chest. They drug him out of the hole and bound him with magical ropes, sticking him in a classroom.

"I've got to check on Percy!" Fred yelled above the growing noise in the hallway. Lee nodded his understanding.

Fred found Percy alone guarding the entrance. "Where'd the others go?"

"Professor Sprout needed them," Percy shouted as they watched Grawp walk by raining bits of the castle upon unsuspecting Death Eaters below. A noise from the tunnel in front of them gave them both time to prepare as two hooded men emerged from it and started firing hexes. Fred and Percy threw curses back at them while ducking and dodging.

However, they found themselves being pushed back away from the entrance during the duel. Fred finally got a stunning spell through his dueling partner's defenses just as two more stunners flew over his shoulders and hit the man straight in the chest. Fred grinned as he saw Percy too had beaten his opponent. A small hand on his hip gave his heart a moment's comfort. "Hermione."

She smiled at him as an earth-shattering noise erupted from the wall beside them. Fred looked up to see the wall start to crumble under the impact. He took the last second offered to him to shove Hermione as hard as he could away from it. He saw her land at the far edge where he hoped she would be safe. And then the world was lost to him in pain then darkness.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to WeasleyForMe for beta-reading this for me. And the girls at Twin.Exchange for once again helping me out of a sticky situation. Check out the Twin.Exchange profile, it's got some great stories, the link's on my profile.**

**Poll: I'm not changing it yet, go vote!**


	40. Fred Survives

Hermione screamed, "Fred! Nooooo!" She began struggling to move pieces of the castle wall that had fallen atop her boyfriend. Beside her Ron and Percy worked relentlessly. They finally uncovered his crushed body. She dropped to her knees beside his lifeless form; the air rushed from her lungs. She raised a shaky hand to his face; he was still grinning as his lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling. "Oh Fred," she sobbed. She was vaguely aware of his brothers clutching at his limp body and trying to rouse him.

"Hermione," Harry called to her. She continued to cry and brushed Fred's hair off his forehead. "Hermione." Harry now shook her gently by the shoulders. "Hermione, wake up."

She opened her eyes and blinked the nightmare away. "Fred?" she gasped.

"Still sleeping." George said, sounding hollow, from the other side of Fred's hospital bed.

Hermione lifted her head from her hands and looked around the room. Harry stood behind her, hands on her shoulders while George was sitting in much the same position as her. He stared blankly at Fred's hand; neither twin had hadn't moved much in the past couple of days. Fred had woken up several times from the magical sleep the mediwitches had placed him under. He was only conscious for a few minutes each time before succumbing to the charm once more.

Most of his injuries were healed easily enough with the right potions. The problem then became the large volume of potions that they went through in order to heal the many injured students, family and Order members, and the house elves; there just weren't enough for everybody. Many of those with more serious wounds were kept asleep by magical influence while the staff at St. Mungo's worked night and day to brew enough potions for all of their patients.

"What time is it?" she asked, rubbing a hand over her face.

"Almost midnight," Harry answered her with a squeeze to her shoulders. She had fallen asleep almost two hours ago. "Where'd Verity go?"

"She had to get home," George droned, glancing up at his brother's face and seeing no change resumed staring at his hand.

"Mrs. Weasley?"

"Mr. Weasley made her go home. He convinced her that Ginny and Ron were starving without her." Harry tried to joke, though no one laughed. "Madam Pomfrey came to visit him an hour ago. She said they should have the potions for him done by tomorrow. Then they'll try wake him up."

She sucked in a deep breath and turned hopefully eyes on her best friend. He smiled at her and nodded. A few tears trickled down her cheeks as she patted his hand on her shoulder.

"You should try to get some more sleep, Hermione." George turned sad eyes on her. "If they wake him tomorrow and you still look like shit, he'll blame me." The corner of his lip turned up just a bit.

She gave her best attempt at a smile, which wasn't much better than his. "Well, I wouldn't want that to happen. I do know how you _hate_ to get in trouble." His nostrils flared with a whoosh of air but that was all the reaction she got. She reached up and brushed Fred's hair off his forehead and sighed. Holding his limp hand gently in her own she brought his knuckles to her lips before laying her head down near his hip to try to get a few more hours of sleep.

"You should try to sleep too, George," Harry's voice was soft.

"Can't sleep," he murmured back.

She heard Harry's soft sigh before she was whisked off into troubled dreams.

They next time Hermione woke, the room was passed full. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were near their son's head accompanied by three healers; they were talking quietly amongst themselves. Ginny sat close to George's side; she had a small hand clutching his sleeve. Ron and Percy were closest to the door with Bill and Charlie. Harry sat beside her, sound asleep leaning back in his chair. She looked up at her love's face; he was still asleep. Afraid to be the one to break the relative silence, she lightly patted Harry on the leg; he woke with a start, practically jumping from his chair.

The tension in the room mounted as all eyes turned towards the startled boy who only offered a small sheepish grin. Ron snorted loudly causing Hermione to chuckle quietly, soon the rest of the room let out their own nervous laughter, all except George. He sat still and quiet, eyes only for his twin.

"Alright, we're ready to begin," the first healer stated, moving closer to Fred. "If anyone that's not immediate family would please step out…" She looked to Harry and Hermione.

"Oh," Hermione whispered in a small defeated voice. She stood slowly, Harry at her side, but George interrupted them.

"That's his fiancé." George gestured towards Hermione, shooting her a look that plainly said not to argue with him.

"Is that right, Miss?" the second healer patted her on the arm.

Hermione licked her dry lips, she didn't like lying but she wanted to stay. "Yes."

"You may stay then, but you'll have to move over there." Number two indicated the side where George and Ginny sat.

"Thanks." She moved silently. All eyes then focused on Harry.

Ron moved forward and slung an arm over his shoulders. "This is my brother," he said simply. Instead of waiting for a response, both boys moved back towards the door, out of the way.

The first healer opened her mouth to protest. But the third gave her a look that silenced her at once. "Very well, everyone will need to stay back. Even if he asks for you."

"Yes, ma'am," chorused around the room.

* * *

"Mr. Weasley, can you hear me?" an unfamiliar voice asked close to his ear.

He tried to answer but his throat was so dry all that he could force out was a rumble.

"Good, that's good," the same voice soothed. "Now, I want you to try and open your eyes. Can you do that for me?"

He struggled to lift his eyelids which suddenly felt they were held down by weights. It took him several minutes but he was able to crack them open. A bright white light seared them, making him want to close them again, but the voice was back.

"Very good, Mr. Weasley. Can you see me?"

He moved his sandpaper covered eyes towards a pretty young woman that was smiling at him. He didn't see anyone else and this woman wasn't familiar to him. He slowly blinked confused eyes at the woman.

"Mr. Weasley, you're at St. Mungo's. You were injured in the battle at Hogwarts. Do you remember that?" She smiled encouragingly.

He closed his eyes and the memories poured out to play on the insides of his lids. He recalled dueling with Percy at his side and then Hermione was there with Ron and Harry. Then the wall started to fall. He had shoved his girlfriend as hard as possible to get her out from under the falling rock. "My-knee," he rasped.

"Is it hurting?" Her eyes turned concerned and she moved the sheet off his leg to examine his knee. He tried to make himself clear, that he was asking about Hermione, but his voice wasn't cooperating.

"Jurge." His tongue felt thick, he needed a drink.

She looked back at him. "You're knee looks fine. What was that last bit?"

"Jurge." A weak cough nearly choked him.

"Here," she said lifting his head a bit and tipping a glass of water up, spilling some into his mouth. He drank it greedily until the glass was empty. "What's Jurge?"

"George," his twin quickly appeared at his side, "that's me."

"My-knee?"

"She's fine. She's right here." George reached back and pulled the crying girl forward by the hand. Fred's brow wrinkled as he watched his girl smile through her tears. "Mum and Dad are here too. We're all here."

Fred's throat had cleared a bit and he felt his brain waking up. "Happened?"

"We won." George grinned, "Wonder boy offed old Voldy."

"George? I think something's wrong with my eyes." Fred's voice was still rough.

"What? What's wrong with them?" George eyes widened as he leaned close. Hermione made a small gasping sound; he had forgotten she was so close.

"I can't see straight, George. You're head…it's lopsided." Fred grinned at his earless twin.

"Git." George grinned back.

"Well, that's just-that's not funny young man." An older mediwitch admonished from the opposite side.

"Of course it isn't," his mum sobbed with a smile, "but it does mean he'll be alright." She moved forward and gave his forehead a kiss. "Oh, my little Freddie." She cried into his chest for a moment before his dad pulled her off and into his arms.

The clearly irritated healer cleared her throat and announced to the room at large, "He'll be fine. But we do have to keep him for observation for at least two days." She pinned him with a disapproving look again before leading the younger healer out the door.

* * *

**A/N: You don't know how tempted I was to post a bogus Fred dies chapter. But amazingly I resisted, under influence and threats of violence. I am however posting it with the title of _Alternate Ending_, if you want to check it out. We're getting close to the end now guys, so just stick with me a little longer. Hey, this story now has over 1000 reviews! So I owe you all a HUGE thank you!! Now, I only have one pie, so everyone just take a small bite and pass it on. **

**Poll: Do you write stories, if so do you let anyone in your 'real life' read them?**

**I write them but don't post****, 18; yes, 14; I don't write them, 13; no, 12; only my closest friends/family 10; and only on accident, 4.**

**New poll up, go vote! And don't forget to review, please! **


	41. Going Home

Hermione sat in a chair next to Fred's bed. He would be released from St. Mungo's in five hours. She couldn't wait to get out of there and she knew he was dealing with the confinement much worse. Being cooped up in that small room was driving him mad. His body was completely healed and he was back to full strength. Hermione watched as he paced back and forth in front of her.

"Fred, just sit still."

"I can't," he practically yelled. She cocked an eyebrow at him, and he lowered his voice. "Sorry, I just can't be still. I want to go home. To the Burrow, to our flat, hell I'd even take Grimmauld Place."

"I know, Fred, I do," she paused, "but there's nothing we can do for five hours. So we just have to sit tight and wait it out."

Fred opened his mouth to protest but a knock at the door stopped him. They both turned toward the sound and watched as a head popped in. Alicia Spinnet smiled and let herself in without waiting for an invitation and Hermione felt her stomach plummet. She watched as the pretty girl approached Fred with her arms open for a hug.

"Fred, I'm so glad you're alright." Alicia's voice was soft and musical.

"Alicia," Fred started. Hermione averted her eyes when she saw him turning towards her. "Hey, uh, how are you?" She looked up and watched as he grabbed her forearms, stopping the hug that she was attempting to give him. The pretty girl's face scrunched up in surprise for a moment before she hid it.

"I'm good, really good." The Chaser circled her hands around Fred's strong forearms.

Hermione ground her teeth but forced herself to not speak. She was curious what her boyfriend would do.

"Right," he sounded a little lost, "well, you remember Hermione?" He dropped her arms and moved closer to Hermione.

"Yeah, Harry Potter's little friend, right?" Alicia smiled her perfect white teeth. "Weren't you dating Fred's little brother? Are you two still together?"

"No," Hermione answered, smiling back sweetly at the girl, "we never dated."

"Oh, that's a pity." She moved to stand next to Fred, who was looking out the window. "So, Fred," she began again.

Apparently startled, Fred's head snapped in her direction. He moved to stand next to Hermione. She forced herself to smother her grin at the older girl's obvious irritation. He placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Alicia's whole demeanor immediately changed.

"You've got to be kidding me," Alicia said with a sneer. "You know, Angelina told me you two were an item but I didn't believe her."

"You should've," Fred stated. "Maybe you should just-" Another knock at the door distracted him. "George!" The boys rushed together, wrapping arms around each other briefly.

Hermione grinned at their display of affection. They had taken to being glued together again, as they had after George's ear incident. But more than that, whenever they were forced to part for more than twenty minutes they would greet each other with a hug upon reuniting. It really was very sweet and she wondered how long it would last. She waved at Verity who hung back in the door way. Their assistant smiled back and sat on the empty bed.

"Hey George," Alicia inserted. She took the opportunity to wrap an arm around each of them as if she were invited into the hug.

Hermione controlled her anger but a glance at Verity showed the girl was none too happy. Her face had darkened and her nose was flared. To both of their relief, the boys jumped away from her almost immediately. Hermione had learned through Katie that George never really forgave Alicia for the rumors he suspected her of spreading their fifth year.

"Alicia," George nodded to her and moved to sit on the bed beside his girlfriend.

Fred moved at the same time over to Hermione. She shook her head when he lifted her hands and plopped onto her lap. She let him put her arms around him, leaving her hands flat against his abdomen. She smirked at Alicia and patted Fred's hard tummy.

* * *

Fred wiggled on Hermione's lap a little when he felt her peeking out from behind him. Judging by the look on Alicia's face, she was looking fairly proud. The former Gryffindor Chaser stiffened up considerably and made a small, disgruntled sound.

"I guess I'll see you later, Fred." The girl smiled toothily at him. "George."

He felt his girlfriend's hands press into him firmly. He rested one of his lightly over the tops of her little hands, while his second ran up the sleeve of her robe to rub against the skin there. He watched as Alicia's eyes followed the progress of his hand before huffing and heading out the door. He chuckled lightly but didn't move from his place on her lap.

"What was that about?" George asked, his arm around Verity. Fred was glad to see they could be together in the open again.

"No idea," he answered. "Can we leave yet?"

"Not yet." Hermione sounded exasperated behind him. Another knock on the door. "Is everyone you ever met coming to visit you today?"

"Come on in," he called, laughing.

Harry toed the door open. He was carrying a small bundle in his arms, a large nappy bag slung over one shoulder. "Hey guys," he called, sounding tired.

"Hi Harry. What you got there?" George asked.

"Teddy." Harry smiled and dropped the bag onto the bed beside Verity. "Andromeda and I are working on a schedule so we both get plenty of time with him. Actually, she's asked me to move in with her, so that we can both take care of him at the same time."

"That's great!" Hermione chirped behind him.

"Well, I hardly know her though, do I?" The boy looked uncertain and sighed. "I think I'm going to give it a shot. He's all she has left and well, he's the last link I have to my parents."

"I think it's a good idea." Fred could tell she was smiling.

"Professor McGonagall owled me this morning," Harry said quietly, shifting the baby in his arms. "She said that after the rebuilding was complete, Hogwarts was going to reopen. She said seventh year for our class would repeat itself but anyone wishing to go ahead and take N.E.W.T.'s could do so."

"Wow, I hadn't even considered that," Hermione whispered. "What are you going to do?"

"I think I'll just go ahead with N.E.W.T.'s. As much as I love Hogwarts, I can't see myself going back there as a student. Plus, if I did, I would have to leave Teddy behind. You?"

Fred closed his eyes, knowing her answer. She would be going back to finish her seventh year. He would have to yet another year to be with her.

"I…" she paused, leaning her head against his back, "I'll have to think about it. Have you asked Ron?" Fred's heart lifted a bit but it wasn't to last. As soon as she heard Ron would be enrolling, she would make her decision.

"Yeah, he's going back. Mrs. Weasley really wants him to. Plus, he doesn't think he'd be able to pass the exams. And then there's Luna."

"Luna?" Fred and George asked at the same time, surprised.

"Yeah," Harry laughed softly, "they've been seeing a lot of each other these past few days."

"Nice." Fred grinned.

The group sat together eventually joined by both Ron and Ginny. Finally, several hours later, the large group of friends and family headed over to the Burrow, thankfully with Fred in tow. The dinner table that night was overflowing. The whole Weasley clan was there with their significant others and several members of the Order.

Fred sat so close to Hermione and George that he couldn't eat without bumping one of them, not that either seemed to mind.

"So, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall began, "I assume Mr. Potter has informed you of your choices. Have you come to any conclusions as of yet?"

His girl chewed quietly for several moments. It could be plainly seen on her face that she was weighing her options. "At this point, I don't think I'll be returning to Hogwarts."

Fred suppressed his cry of joy. That she was even considering not continuing her education gave him a thrill and some much needed hope. He tried to not let it show, but he felt George's elbow dig into his ribs.

"I have to say, I'm quite surprised by you, Miss Granger. I had thought that if anyone understood the value of a proper education, it was you." McGonagall's eyebrows were raised.

"I do. But I'm not certain Hogwarts is the right place for me anymore." She looked at Fred and he caught her eye with a small grin. She turned back to the newest Headmistress. "I think what I would really like is to just move on with my life. And, after all, I am quite confident in my ability to pass the N.E.W.T.'s."

**A/N: Probably just one to go, guys. Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review! Extra special thanks to JackMyles for the beta read.**

**Poll: 19-25 got 19 votes**

**16-18 got 16**

**13-15 got 14**

**26-30 got 5**

**12 and under got 1**

**and apparently no one is over 40.**

**new poll up, go vote.**


	42. Finally

"Hermione," Fred called to her, "we're staying at the flat tonight. Do you want to come?"

"To th-the flat?" she stuttered. "What about your mum?"

"I'll talk to her, she'll be fine. I'd really like you to stay there with me. No lying or sneaking around this time," he added.

She looked into his eyes and couldn't have stopped the words from tumbling out if she had wanted to, "Yes, I'll stay with you." She watched his eyes light up along with his entire face when he smiled at her. She felt that grin mirrored on her own face. "Fred?"

"Yes?"

"You never finished telling me about the results of your daydream charm." She felt shy asking him to reveal his dream, knowing he would ask about hers in return.

"Oh, that," he said as a blush crept up his neck to his ears. "I'll, uh, I'll tell you when we get to my place." She smiled and nodded to him.

Several minutes later found Hermione holding Teddy while Harry shook out his tired arms.

"I never would've thought a baby that tiny could be so heavy," Harry sounded awed as he headed for the bathroom.

Hermione chuckled at him and the baby started to cry. Her eyes widened; she didn't have much experience with infants, just a distant cousin that had come to visit a time or two. "Harry? Harry! What do I do?" She felt a tad bit of panic when the baby continued to scream. She looked desperately around the room but none of the others seemed inclined to help her.

"Here," Fred said, dropping down to sit beside her, flicking his hair out of his face. He tried to hand her the baby bottle. However, she was using both hands to make sure Teddy didn't flop out of her arms. She looked at Fred when she heard him laugh. "Like this." He manipulated her arms until she was holding the sobbing infant comfortably and safely snug to her body with one arm. He put the bottle of formula into her free hand and made sure she held it upright enough that the little boy wouldn't get too much air. "You're a natural."

Hermione still felt nervous holding such a small helpless being but Fred's steady arms around her eased most of the tension. She heard him sigh and enjoyed the feel of his lips as he pressed them softly to her temple. Fred's large hand reached forward to stroke the baby's cheek. Hermione dared a glance at her guy and found him looking quite content, which both thrilled her and scared her senseless.

They stayed at the Burrow for another hour before Mrs. Weasley announced it was time for bed. "Mum, could I have a word?" Fred directed his mother into the kitchen, and Hermione couldn't resist the urge to spy on them just a little bit.

Fred had his back to her, but she could clearly see Mrs. Weasley's face. Her expression started out stern and disapproving. However, as Hermione watched, the frown gradually disappeared and the older woman wiped a tear away from her cheek. Mrs. Weasley nodded to her son and pulled him into a tight hug. Hermione lifted her eyebrows wondering what on earth he could have said to convince her so easily. When his mother finally released him, Fred turned back to Hermione and grinned at her shocked look.

"Let's go, pet." Fred winked at her and headed towards the floo, George and Verity right in front of him. Hermione let him steer her by the elbow to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and joined her on the short dizzying trip to his flat.

"Well, kids," George began, Verity flung over his shoulder giggling, "We'll see you in the morning." He winked at Hermione and slapped his girlfriend's bum lightly.

"George!" she squealed, scandalized, but she ruined the effect by breaking into loud peals of laughter.

"Well aren't they…friendly," Hermione said with a small chuckle.

"The friendliest," Fred confirmed. "You tired?"

"No," she yawned, "Yes."

He chuckled at her and held her hand leading her to his bedroom. "Here we are," he announced shutting the door.

Hermione swallowed thickly looking at the bed. "Here we are," she echoed softly.

"Hermione, you know I'm not expecting anything from you, right? I quite literally got off my death bed just a couple days ago. I'm in no rush for you to put me back in it."

She snorted at him and shook her head. "Fred, I-" she took a deep breath, "You remember that day at Shell Cottage?"

"Of course. How could I forget?" His voice deepened and he ran a hand down her arm.

"I thought maybe we could pick up where we left off." She reached up and placed soft open mouthed kisses along his neck.

Fred tipped his head back to enjoy the feel of Hermione's lips on his neck. She worked her way up to his mouth and the kiss turned deep and passionate. Hardly aware of what he was doing, Fred walked her backwards until she bumped into the bed.

"Aaahh!" she yelled as she ungracefully flopped backwards, Fred landing heavily on top of her.

"Got to watch that last step," he mumbled into her neck. He kissed and licked his way up the column of her throat. He sucked lightly just a little below her ear, causing her to moan softly. He felt her squirm beneath him, and he pulled back to see her sliding slowly but surely off of the edge of the bed. When he lifted his weight from her, gravity pulled her down quickly to her arse with a thump. He chuckled when she rubbed her bum. "Can I help you with that?" He reached a hand down to help her up.

Fred tugged her to her feet and started to rub her bum. "Fred," she laughed, "Stop!" She smiled at him and grabbed the front of his shirt.

"What'd I do?" he asked her, pulling an innocent face. He laughed when she shook him gently by his shirt. "Forgive me?" She grinned again and nodded. She pulled him roughly to her and covered his mouth with hers. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. He soon forgot all about teasing her and lost himself in the feel of her tongue sliding against his. He ran his hands down her sides, gripped the edge of her shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it behind him. He took a moment to feel her breasts through her light blue bra before he unsnapped it and threw it into the semi-darkness. He nearly yelped when Hermione yanked his shirt off, taking him by complete surprise. "In a hurry?"

"You bet I am," she laughed. He chuckled wrapping his arms around her and drawing their bare chests together. She sighed, "That feels wonderful." She slowly drug her hands up his spine.

"Mmmm," he hummed into her ear where he sucked gently. He lowered his hands to the waist of her skirt and slowly pushed it down and off along with her blue cotton knickers. He kissed his way back up her body, enjoying the little mews of pleasure that fell from her lips. When he stood before her again she grinned and ducked back from his kiss. His heart raced out of control when she licked her lips and reached for the button on his pants.

She mimicked his removal of her bottoms, kissing and licking. His breath came in hard pants while she teased him. Just when he thought he was going to have to stop her, she kissed her way back up to his mouth. He kissed her hungrily and lifted her into his arms with ease. Never breaking the connection, he made his way back to the bed and set her down gently before covering her body with his own.

He stroked her tongue with his and added light caresses with gentle squeezes to her breasts. He slowly slid against her, eliciting a sharp cry from Hermione. "You sure about this?" he asked, recognizing the strain in his voice.

"Yes, please, yes," she begged, lifting her hips to him.

He swallowed thickly at her pleas, forcing himself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he gave in to her request, his brow furrowed when his girl's face scrunched up. He kissed her softly, stilling his movements. He rested his forehead against hers and waited for a sign for him to continue. He didn't have to wait long for the girl to nod. He began his slow progress again. He felt her tense up beneath him. "Relax, love." She nodded but held the tension. Not sure what to do about it, he enveloped her in a series of deep penetrating kisses.

He felt her body loosen up and he continued. Her cry of pain was muffled by his mouth and he held completely still. He backed off the kiss and opted for soft pecks on her face and neck. A single tear slipped out of the corner of her eye, and he brushed his lips down her to her temple, following its trail. He lifted his eyes to hers and found her watching him. He offered her a small smile which he hoped she understood meant he would wait until she was ready. They held still looking into each others eyes until she let out an amused breath.

"You're arm's shaking," she whispered.

"Yeah, well, I'm a heavy guy," he tried to keep his voice steady; weight had nothing to do with his shaking. He felt her squirm and she offered him a small smile. Slowly, he began to to move again. It took every ounce of self control he possessed to not let his instincts take over. She was his, and he had to be careful with her.

He saw the change in her features and felt it in her body, when the pain released its hold on her and she started to enjoy the sensations he was providing her with. He started to move faster and moaned loudly when she lifted her hips in time with his. When her body clamped down on him, he grunted loudly and found his release.

His arms felt like jelly and he barely caught his exhausted body before he crushed her. He rolled off of her and pulled her so that she was cradled to his chest, both of them gasping for breath. They lay in silence for several minutes before Fred found the energy to pull the sheet over them.

He thought Hermione was asleep until he heard her whisper, "You never did tell me about that dream."

He puffed out an amused breath. "Tomorrow, pet. I promise." He stroked her hair as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

2 months later

"Hermione, come in here for a minute!" Fred hollered from the pantry. Hermione and Verity had both moved in the previous month and the twins had been forced to expand their flat magically. They altered it until it was something resembling a condo but with a shared kitchen and family room. Their mum had hinted them that their girlfriends would probably appreciate having their own homes. The boys however were reluctant to separate. Hermione had assured him only a few days ago that she liked sharing a home with George and Verity and had no intentions of persuading him otherwise.

"What do you need, Fred? I'm helping Verity with her hair." Hermione bustled into the room looking harassed.

"What's she doing to it?"

"Curling it and trying to fix it into some style she saw in Witch Weekly."

"Why?"

"George told her he had something special planned for today and she wants to look her best." She shrugged.

"Oh," he said as he turned and handed her an armful of boxes, "could you hold those for a minute?" She started to protest when he shot her a pleading look.

"Fine," she huffed.

"Thanks." He paused, turning toward the shelf. "Hey, could you try and find a box that would fit this?" He turned back to her and held the small diamond ring up for inspection. "I can't seem to find the right size."

Her mouth dropped open as she looked over the simple yet elegant ring. "He's proposing?"

"Yes, he is," Fred said, dropping to a knee.

"Wait," she sounded confused, "you're proposing?"

"Yes, I am." He reached out and held her slim hand in his own. "Hermione, I love you more than anything. And I can't imagine anything that would make me happier than having you as my wife."

"Oh, Fred," she dropped to the floor beside him and kissed him soundly.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, I suppose it is." He slipped the ring onto her finger then stood them both up.

Before either Verity or Hermione could say anything more, the twins shouted through the flat to each other, "She said yes!"

* * *

_The end._

**A/N: Thank you oh, wonderful and mighty WeasleyForMe for the spectacular beta job. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted, and favourited this fic. And an extra special thank you to WeasleyforMe, JackMyles, and Taylor5795 who were with me from the beginning. You guys have all been really awesome! Thanks one last time! Don't forget one last review!**

**Wow, for poll results, I'll leave the results up if you want to check them out. There were a lot of spread out answers, very cool guys.**


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